LAND SALES

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1944, Page 2

LAND SALES

WESTLAND COMMITTEE. The Westland Land Sales Committee on Monday, at Greymouth, granted the following applications:— C. R. McGinley to G. E. B. Honey, Sections 353 and 353 a, town of Greymouth, 1 rood 16 perches, freehold, price £1050; J. Patterson to L. Brown, lets 2 and 3 of Sections 147 b and 147 c, Grey Native Reserve, 20.83 perches, price £577. The following applications were adjourned for valuation: —C. B. O’Connor to E. E. L. Bennington, Lot 2 of Section 30 of Grey Harbour Reserve 1485, 20 perches, price £750; Public Trustee to F. Dennehy, Section 2669, Blk. VI, Wataroa S.D., 1500 acres, freehold, sub-lease for 5 years .at £5O per annum; A. McDougall to M. E. I'horpy, lot 3 of sec. 1987, corner Marlborough and Palmerston Sts., town of Greymouth, 38.9 perches, freehold, price £1240; J. F. Minehan to A. Priest, section 77, town of Greymouth, I - rood, freehold, price £130; M. E. Scandrett to W. G. Nimmo, section 248, town of Cobden, 39.8 perches, freehold, price £1500; J. L. Patterson to H. W. Brown, lot 8 of sections 1842 and 1843, town of Greymouth, 26.1 perches, freehold, price £1200; W. E. Bellamy to J. L. Patterson and A. R. King, part lot 2 of sec, 302 d, lot 1 of 302 c, 18.2 perches, Grey Native Reserve, price £3300; Self Help Properties Ltd. to D. R. Barron, rec. 137, Doyle St. Blaketown, of Grey Harbour Reserve 1427, price £BOO.

The following application was approved: J. Millar to A. P. Chinn, sec. 251 and part 253, Beach Street, Hokitika, 13 perches, freehold, price £9O. The following application was adjourned: J. McGrath to E. A. and H. K. Gillman, sections 148 a and 148 c, Grevmouth Suburban Hotel, price £ll,OOO. An application for the consent of the committee to the transfer of a property of 100 acres of freehold land situated at Wataroa, from Robert and Margaret Clarke to Malcolm Joseph Mcßride, the consideration being £1,950 was granted at Hokitika. The applicant, Mr. J. Mcßride stared he already held 393 acres of freehold and a small riverbed leasehold. The present carrying capacity of this property was 200 breeding ewes and 14 breeding cows. It was light, river. ber country and 100 acres were unfenceable. It could not; be classed as an economic unit. It would be unsafe to build upon owing to flooding risk. Clarke’s property had all the necessary buildings. It was a matter of opinion whether Clarke’s property would provide a reasonable living on its own. There was a mortgage of £1 500 on his own place. He was borrowing £2,215 from the Mortgage Corporation to buy Clarke’s place. After hearing further evidence, the committee consented to the transfer for the following reasons: (1) The possibility of erosion and flooding (2) The shocking evidence of neglect with infestation of gorse and blackberry, on Mcßride’s holding, wlucn was ‘not the fault of the present owner. (3) The doubt respecting the productive capacity of Clarke’s property for the settlement of another returned serviceman. (4) The psychological effect that a refusal might have on the applicant, who was a returned serviceman and had the makings of a first class, settler, who might otherwise be lost to the industry. The chairman, Mr. M. Wallace, said the Committee wished it to oe known that they were definitely opposed to land aggregation beyond what was needed to provide a reasonable living, but it was difficult to define what was meant by th e term, “undue aggregation.” An inspection had been made of the property. There was some risk of erosion, but it was not as great as the evidence would indicate. But for that risk, consent would not be granted as in the Committee’s opinion, Mcßride's present holding was ample.