AUCKLAND CITY MISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 16 February 1870, Page 5

AUCKLAND CITY MISSION.

Bis, T 7-The j wTiter of the article "Auckland c^ty"M£«fida J "''wiircli 4pp6ar£d in'your paper tlis morning, has dealt very hardly with Mr. Sctiiervair the proprietor of the land on which 'the' City ■■ ; Mission building >. stands, and had he-known)the;patience, i the consideration, qnd/the." ■'. concessions. , of. • Mr. ■Somer*ille,f ;he ■=: would not- have laid the demise tit the Mission to bis account, or written the words " that' the responsibility must remain with the author of the terms that could not be.complied with''and that "longas the building stands it wffl have a ; Y<iice to protest, on behalf of the public who' raised it, against the perversion to which it ia about to bo subjected." The writer in qnestion cannot be awarV of~tb*~mtttiner in which. Mr. S.Tiaß Been., the past two years, and, howl wJHibgljr!?£e would have accepted any reasonable The,prjncipal work of the Missionceased 'nearly two years ago, and siace that time theibuildinghas been occupied for a Sunday school chiefly, During those two T«ars Mrl Someryille'has not received his rent, although applying for it; his relations with the Mission being bo unsatisfactory he made an offer of the land in 1868 for £150, and waited patiently for his offer to be accepted, but time passed< on and nothing was done; last year he again urged the purchase of the freehold but as property had advanced and a year's rent wasdne,:he considered £200 not too much, but still nothing was done; and now, anxious to bring the; matters to a close, ho makes a ; tbird offer,, aid to urge the speedy settlement fixes" a' short date for a final answer. Nearly two years' ground' rent is due, and he considers that in jusrice'Tto'himself something should be : dohe; either, to pay the ground rent or to,pwchase the landr . The amount of £220 betop much,' but he can demand what is' equivalent to more money, viz, £48 and 10s per week.. Would it hot be well to confer again with Mr. Somerville, and although, he has conceded much, he may'coriostle < T more. Better terms may bejtnade, so,that\.theiCity Mission' buildings, reared, by the-feeble offerings of many earnest warm-hearted persons, at a cost of £700, mayvftot be converted purposes than originally intended/.or stand a monument of disgrace to the citizens of Auckland, who refused to redeem it with a small sum Of money.—l am, &c., A. CM. ♦