Crown Interest In Land At Mangapai

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1944, Page 5

Crown Interest In Land At Mangapai

Stated by the Crown representative (Mr D. Stevenson) to be under consideration by the Crown for acquisition, a property of 117 acres at Mangapai came before the Land Sales Committee in Whangarei on Friday at a urice of £2512 and a further £7BB‘for stock and chattels, a total of £3300.

Appearing for the vendor, Mr H. G. Carruth indicated that this information had taken* him by surprise and the chairman (Mr S. I. Goodall). with whom were associated Messrs A. A. McLauchlan and H. C. Fraser, permitted an adjournment to allow this asoect to be discussed with the vendor and Mr J. S. Day. who appeared for the purchaser. On resumption Mr Carruth said that the committee had to find whether the land was suitable for soldier settlement and what was the basic value. The chairman concurred with this view, and said that if it were found the property was not suitable the case for the applicants would proceed. Valuation Differences

Mr Carruth said the vendor had two sons serving overseas while the purchaser had one son, for whom he was buying the property, in the forces. Evidence was given by the vendor that the property had been bought in 1941 for £2455 while over £IOO had been spent in improvements. Production last season had been 82G01bs butterfat from 41 cows, although in the past production had been higher. The buildings comprised a sixroomed dwelling and other farm sheds in good repair. William R. Vallance, land valuer, gave his valuation of the land and buildings as £2508 and stock and chattels at £7BB while the fields inspector of the Lands Department (Mr Clive Smeaton) said he valued the production capacity of the property at £IBBB with stock and chattels at £645. Mr Stevenson said that he wished to obtain a direction regarding the case. Purchase was being made by a man for his son, who had served in New Zealand and was covered by the Act, and as he was in doubt about this aspect he required a ruling. The case was adjourned. High Productive Land Part of 150 acres purchased in 1905, 70 acres being sold four or five years later, 82% acres with a seven-roomed dwelling and other buildings at Maunu came before the committee at a price of £3450 and £SO for chattels. Government valuation in 1940 was £2BOO but the vendor, an experienced valuer, said that,, while he had not been farming the property to full productive capacity, its basic value on production was £3600. On a valuation basis the property was worth £3560. Cross-examined by Mr Stevenson, he said that his basis of 245ibs butterfat per cow' was most fair as a nearby property over a period of years had averaged 3601bs butterfat per cow, the herd being grade animals. Evidence in support of this statement was given by the farmer concerned. The purchaser, a returned soldier, said he intended, to develop, the property into a dairy farm instead of using it for run stock as had been done in the past. At this stage the case was adjourned for evidence by the vendor’s valuer who was unable to attend. Purchased in 1943 for £IOOO, a farmlet oi five acres with a five-roomed dwelling and other buildings, of a capital value of £865, came before the committee at a price of £I2OO. Evidence of £2OO u'orth of improvements having been made since that time was given and no objection was raised by the Crown, consent being granted. Water Rights

The question of water rights leased for 21 years by the Hikurangi Co-op. Dairy Co. Ltd., was considered by the committee which gave consent at the proposed price of £2OO. Provision had not been made for right of renewal of the lease and the company wished to purchase the water rights. Alternative arrangements to secure water had been made but the vendor had offered the rights and the company had felt that at the present time it should not proceed with the new scheme and use materials that could be put. to other use. Consent to the sale at £I9OO of'a property of 429 acres with a four-roomed house at Waipu and £SOO for chattels was sought. The chairman remarked that it was rather startling to find that such a large property did not come up to the standard of a single unit. For the vendor Mr A. C. Lamb, said that old age and ill-health had combined in allowing the farm to go back. The farm had been carrying 23 cows, 15 heifers and other stock, production last season being 27701bs butterfat compared with an average season of 45001bs butterfat. Thomas O’Carroll, valuer, gave his valuation as £1825 for the property and £556/10/- for the chattels, while Jack Oliver, departmental valuer, considered the value of the property to be £1766 and of the chattels to be £451. Evidence regarding fire burns having occurred on the property was directly contradictory, the former stating that no fire had occurred and the latter that 100 acres had been bl The d chairman said that the committee had confidence in both witnesses but apparently one had made a mistake in the property. • As the question of fire was material to the value of the land the chairman said that both witnesses should view the property in conjunction and determine the boundaries, whether a fire had occurred and if so, whether it had been before or after the date, of the sale agreement. The case was adjourned for tliis purpose.