COMPENSATION COURT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11956, 21 September 1901, Page 4

COMPENSATION COURT.

THE KUMEROA CASE. Tho Compensation Court commenced ita sittings yesterday before Mr Justice Edwards and Messrs J. C. M'Kerrow and Horace Baker, Assessors, to inquire into the Kumeroa case. Mr H, A, Cornford appeared for the claimant and Dr. Findlay for the Government. This was a claim for .£37,390 under the Land for Settlements Act as full compensation for the Kumeroa estate of 3COO acres, compulsorily taken by the Government for close settlement purposes. The claimants, T. E. Crosse and D. A. T. Crosse, value the actual land at £8 12s fid per acre, but other items in their claim for various losses occasioned by dispossession bring the total up to the amount stated, or equal to £lO 7s 9d per acre over all. The Government’s offer is £0 15s per acre in fall satisfaction, or a total of £24,300, less by £13,090 than the amount claimed.

Air Cornford, in stating the claimants case, said what was claimed was only fair and liberal compensation. They heln that the Crown was not entitled to beat them down to the lowest price, that some witness, more or less competent, declared was the value of the land. The real value was the value to the owner at the market price, and the owner was entitled to an amount that would place him in a similar position as before being deprived of his land. There was no doubt that tho State desired to acquire this land, because it was especially suitable for close settle* meat, and it was not entitled to drive a hard bargain withtheclaimant. Theactual area of Kumeroa was 3GGB acres 1 rood 29 perches. In 1900 its return In wool was 220 bales wool, and there wore on the property 3000 fat nheep and 80 fat cattle. Having been timbered land it was only in the last six years that the property might bo said to have been really improved, and there was yet a little bush to be cleared, though it would bo more valcable to keep it. They would call a number of extremely competent and experienced valuers, men well acquainted with this district, to say what their valuation of Mr Crossed prop?rty is, and that would involve a consideration of what properties in the vicinity had realised. Their claim was for .£3 12s Gd per acre for the whole property, although there were two different classes of land comprising the estate, but for purposes of valuation they took the value of the estate as a whole. The land was eminently suited for cutting up, and he submitted that Mr Crosso was more than justified in the claim which ho was making. The various witnesses he would call had made absolutely independent valuations, and the Court would be surprised at the results. Their claim might very reasonably have been higher than it was. The Court would no doubt be informed of certain negotiations between the 1 and Purchase Department and the claimant with a view to the acquisition of this land These negotiations having fallen through were resumed early in February. The Government offered £6lss per acre as against an offer which Mr Crosse made. As regarded the owner, the Court would appreciate his position. Ho knew that his land would be taken sooner or later, owing to the petitions which rained into the Government from settlers asking that the land be acquired. Anxious to av -id a troublesome investigation he made an offer to the Crown at a figure which ho was sure the Court would be satisfied from the evidence of the valuers woe but the full value of the land, having regard to the price of land in the immediate vicinity. His Honor: When the value of Hatuma was fixed wool was up, and Hatuma claimed on the basis that wool would always keep up.

Mr Corntord said ho did not think tho price of freehold properties in this district was made dependent upon the fluctuations of the wool market. Continuing his address, counsel said Kumeroa was all the more valuable becauaa of its immunity from drought | its very good qualities for fattening stock, and its adaptability for dairying purposes, there being factories and creameries within the vicinity of this property. Reginald Greville, surveyor, Pahiatna, valued the Kumeroa property a* follows •. —913 acres at .£l3, 4-tO at 4S, 320 at £7 10s, 300 at £8 2a, 697 at .£6 10s, 445 at £7 10s, and 542 at ss, The other witnesses examined yesterday were E. Von Eeder, settler, Eketahuna ; Harold Greville, dairy farmer ; William Wakeman, farmer, Fahiatua; and K, Gilbertson, clerk to the Patangata County Council.

At 420 p.m. tho Court rose until 10 a.m. to-day.