A LAND SALE HELD UP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15302, 16 November 1911, Page 2

A LAND SALE HELD UP.

THE GOVERNMENT INTERVENES,

"Tho Government irrigation races command all this freehold, and wator will bo supplied to tho holders at a small rontal per annum per holding." Tho foregoing is a quotation from a publio announcement advertising tho salo of fruit farms at Speargmsj Flat, near Alexandra, which ialo was to havo been conducted yesterday afternoon by Messrs Park, Reynolds (Ltd.). At tho hour fixed for the oonimenoemont of tho t%\c, thoro was a laryo attendance of tbo public at tho auctioncels' salo room, but, as evonts transpired, thoro wss no salo. Mr Reynolds announced that owing to a. hitch in regard to 'matters affecting irrigation the property hid befth withdrawn in tho meantime. Tho auctioneer further hinted that tho action of tho vendors was duo to a certain courso of action token by tho Public Works Donivrtmoiit, nnd tho pVeeonoo of Sir .1. F. Si. Fraoer, Crown Solicitor, led colour to the belief that tho Government was in somo way concerned in tho unexpected development which hod taken place. As a matter of fact tho Government was tho primary factor, and tho oauso thereof was the announcement that-water for irrigation would bo supplied to buyers of tho holdings "at a small rental per annum por holding." Mr Reynolds, tho auctioneer, whon questioned by a Times reporter, after the announcement that the property had boon withdrawn for tho thno being, eaid that ho had understood that all arrangements had been made between tho vendors and tho Government for the supplv of water for irrigation purposes to each section, and that tlie individual owners would mako their own arrangements for tho supply of water. Evidently thb was not so, "and that the Public Works Department desired to • mako, tho arrangements for tbo supply and distribution of the water to tho block as a wlwle. Tho first intimation ho had that there was any hitch was the receipt of a telegram from tho vendor at 11 o'clook that morning temporarily withdrawing the sections from sale. '■'- •*•• Subsequently the Daily Times reporter interviewed Mr Fraser, Crown Solicitor, on tho subject, and Mr Frasor supslied tho following statement:— '"Tho owners tof the property, in their ndvortisctnent, suggested that tho Government's' Last Chance irrtaition water-race commanded all tbo freehold, and that water would bo supplied to the holders at a small rental per annum por freehold; whereas, in point of fact, no agreement had boon arrived at between tho owners of tho property and tho Govornintent, cither as to the supply or as to the price, and the Minister'in .charge of the department deemed it only right that intending buyers should bo in possession of this fact."