A QUESTION OF VALUES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18158, 2 August 1922, Page 9

A QUESTION OF VALUES.

PROPERTY AT WAIHI BEACH.

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

EVIDENCE FOR THE COUNCIL.

Further evidence as to values was taken in the claim of Martha 'Oalriel'l Shaw, of Matata, against the Waihi Borough Conncil, for compensation in the sum of £12,500, at a sitting of the Compensation Court held yesterday, before Mr. Jus,tke Herdman and two assessors, Mesrs. H. E. Vaile and J. S. Dickson. The claim was in respect of 63 acres at Waihi Beach, taken by the respondents under the Public Works Act, 1908, for the purposes of a public recreation ground. Sir John Findlay and Mr. Goulding appeared for the claimant, and Mr. Stanton for the respondents.

On behalf of the claimant, several valuers gave evidence as to the value of the property, the estimates being all in the neighbourhood of £12,000. In opening for the respondents,. Mr. Stanton stated that the commencement of tho settlement at Waihi Beach was the formation by the Borough Council of tho road, the existence of which was tho sole cause of the added value of Mrs. Shaw's land. A great factor in assessing the value of the property was the position and pro&pects of Waihi, which was a town which could not be expected to increase materially. Joseph James Ritchie, town clerk of Waihi, produced details of the borough's financial operations in the last ten years, showing variations in valuations, rnvenue, and census, tending to show that in some respects Waihi was not progressing. The borough's expenditure on the road to the beaoh had been £2500, and a further *um of £650 had been spent in maintenance and in providing various public services at the beach. He expressed the opinion that the demand for sections was not likely to be very great. In reply to Sir John Findlay, he stated that the borough had not permitted the road to deteriorate deliberately, but, owing to straitened finances, maintenance had necessarily beeu kept down to the hiinimum Evidence was given as to the local value of the claimant's property by Moore Senwiclc Haszard, surveyor, of Waihi Jamee Murray, valuer, of Waihi, and Thomas Buddie Arthur, valuer, of Auckland, their estimates ranging between £3137 and £4000. Vnrmnn John Moon, a member of tho Waihi Borough Council, gave evidence as to the claimant's sons remaining in possession of the property from the time it was taken under the Act until the present data. He was of opinion that it would take ten years to absorb the sections into which it was proposed to subdivide the property. The taking of evidence, it is expected, will bi> concluded this morning.