WESTELLA SALE

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6869, 26 March 1929, Page 6

WESTELLA SALE

Vendor Replies to Hon. CL W. Forbes To the Editor. Sir, —I have been away from home otherwise I would have replied earlier to Mr. Forbes’ statement appearing in the press. That I at first declined the oiler made by the Coates Government and later accepted the same offer has no bearing on the matter. The fact remains that Wcstella was purchased on the initiative of the Reform Government and in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down by me with that Government except that owing to the indiscretion, as I shall show later, of responsible members of the Ward Government, I was able to add certain conditions entirely satisfactory to myself. I may be in ignorance as suggested by Hon. G. W. Forbes, as to the right procedure as regards land purchase but the announcement of the purchase of Wcstella was made by Sir Joseph Ward and other Ministers a long time before the agreement was signed and before the approval of the Executive Council had been given. This being so, I naturally thought that the approval of the Executive Council was a mere formality, otherwise why should responsible Ministers publicly announce tho purchase before the proper procedure (according to Mr. Forbes) had been gone through f Mr. Forbes goes on to say that he and Mr. Cobbe inspected the property. Now' I have always been brought up to understand that it was not the right procedure to go on to any person’s property without permission, not even Ministers of the Crown. This surely must have been overlooked by Messrs. Forbes and Cobbe when they came on my property without permission and without letting mo know they desired to inspect. I did not know they were on my property and surely common courtesy demands that they should havo at least called at my house. ltc the former member for Oroua acting for me, the explanation is quite simple. Ow'ing to ill-health, I was strongly advised to sell. Having every confidence in Mr. Gordon Eliott’s ability I rang him and asked him to get into touch with the Land Purchase Board and to accept in my name the offer made by them to look after matters for me in the meantime, as I was not lit enough. In face of the remarks made by Mr. Forbes regarding Mr. Eliott ’3 actions, I want to emphasise the fact that Mr. Eliott was not then a member of the House.

As Mr. Forbes apparently desires publicity, may I now give a short,account of the negotiations for the said of Wcstella to the Crown. I offered my property to the Reform Government under the usual terms and conditions for sales to the Crown—that is, a certain defined block of land at a cash prico but with no on me. After valuation by officers of tho Crown, an offer was made to me which I ultimately accepted while the Coates Cabinet was in power. When the Ward Government came in they wanted to impose some conditions which I have never heard having been placed on an owner on a sale to tho Crown. The Ward 'Government wanted me to dedicate land for roads, provide access to sub-divisions, build a bridge, form and metal a road, a later dato for delivery and take their debentures in payment. I accepted their date of delivery and rejected all their other proposals. In agreeing to their dato of delivery I insisted on other conditions being inserted in the agreement which ended in the deal being completed to my entire satisfaction. Owing to tho premature, impetuous and injudicious announcement that the property had been bought, made by responsible members of the present Government bo fore the agreement was signed, I was naturally in’ the position to dictate my own terms, I leave the public to judge the business methods adopted by tho present Government. How much credit is duo to the Ward Government 9 I am, etc., R. L. LEVIN.