MR HINE'S CHARGES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 256, 5 November 1910, Page 2

MR HINE'S CHARGES.

TO-DAt'S PROCEEDINGS

[PRESS ABBOOIATION/J , WELLINGTON, Nov. 4. The Hine Committee of the Lower House resumed to-day the hearing of the charges against Messrs Symes and Major, alleging " that; they charged and received a commission on, tho sale' of land to the Government.; The charges were taken conjointly. Mr J. D. Ritthio 'gave'evidence to the effect that Major offered F. Bayloy's property to the Government for closer settlement at £12 10s per acre. The Land Purchase Board recommended tie .purchase, arid, the Cabinet approved it. A. Bayley's property was offered in "1904. Mr Seddon wrote ty the Land Purchase Board requesting a Valuation and report on this property. Mr Barron inspected the land and reported, stating that if the; Government acquired it at £9 per acre it would make a fair bargain. Mr Barron. asked Major if Bayley would sell art la lower figure-. In 1906 Symes' forwarded to Mr, HallJones, Acting-Premier, a petition from Toko settlers asking the Government to^ purchase the property. Symes wrote -recommending its acquirement. Bayley had then reduced' tho land to £7 Is lOd per acre. Mr Barron assessed the improved value; -at £11, and the Land Purchase Board recommended acquirement at this .price, Bayley accepting: ■ Replying to Sir Joseph Ward, the 'witness said that no political influence; affected the Board's , deliberations. No Minister was present at the meetings of the Board. Replying to Mr Reed, tho witness said that Major evidently wrote as a land agent. Mr Myers put in Hansard, showing Symps's statement that he could have bought. F. Bayley's land for £2 10s loss than the Government paid for it. Chas. Bayley, one of tho executors of Alfred Bayley's will, produced a promissory note for £300, given to Symes by Alf. Bayley. The note was drawn in 1906, and the amount paid into the bank in October. Chas. J3dward / Major, land agent, formerly' M.P.; for Patea, said1 that Arndt, whp offered A. Bayley'a property to the Government in 1903, asked him to write to the Premier stating his opinion of the property. He had received no payment in connection with the sale of A. Bayley's property. He had never divided with Symes any commission received from sales to the Government. As far as the witness was concerned, charge No. 2 was untrue. Regarding F. Bayley's property, ho considered that he acted ; within his rights, morally and legally. He could have sold the property to a private syndicate for the same price, as that which the Government paid. Replying to Mr , Allen, he considered that a land agent out of Parliament had a better chance of dealing with the Government than an M.P. Popular opinion in the district was that A. Bayley did not re^ coive full value for tho property. Replying to Mr Myers, M.P., he said that he never offered land to the Government in excess of its true value.

Tho Committee has adjourned till Tuesday.

The Flaxbourne charge will be taken last.