HUNTER ESTATE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 10

HUNTER ESTATE

CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY EVIDENCE OF NEGLECT (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 18, Continuing his evidence in the Supreme Court in the Hunter estate case to-day (an application for removal of the trustees), Oscar Monrad said that on the occasion of his second visit to the station he saw a lot of skin and wool that had just been dug up from the ground. He was present towards the end of the digging. The skins were decomposed, and the wool had become heated and decayed Some of the skins near the surface were in a reasonably good state of preservation. He could see no justification for the burying of the skins, which were a valuable asset. Damage to the skins before they were buried could be caused only by neglect. The heap uncovered might weigh from a quarter to half a ton. Some bales of scoured wool could have been obtained from a heap of dags he saw on the station.

Witness said that in the course of his wanderings over the station he saw 100 or more dead sheep, not one of which had been plucked, though nearly all were worth it. The total sheep shortage from August 20. 1930, to December 31, 1936, was 7870. The legitimate reduction of that total was 3717, making an abnormal loss of 4163. He calculated there had been a direct loss through skin shortage of £640 13s 6d, caused by sheer neglect and indifference. Money had been put into a truck which should have been used for fencing, which was vitally needed. The truck was not entirely suitable, and there were other transport facilities available. Proceeding, witness said the boundaries of the station could be discerned by the scrub on the station, as neighbouring properties were comparatively clear. The clearing of scrub, which was once a comparatively trivial matter, would now be expepsive work. It was most urgent, and should have been done at a fraction of the present cost under one of the unemployment relief schemes three or four years ago.

Witness spoke of the neglect of farm implements. One pound a week was paid for sweeping and cleaning an empty house with little furniture in it, whereas 5s a week would be sufficient. There were 1500 cull lambs that should be sold for £1125. The lambs and hoggets on the- station were a poor lot and the retaining of the culls had resulted in lowering the standard of the stock. Light two-tooth wethers had been killed for consumptior on the station, and he could find no record of the sheep that had been killed. Nothing had been done to prevent the spread of wind-driven sand. There was an abnormal t. ’tuber of dogs. There was no need for rabbiting dogs at. all and no need for a permanent rabbiter, though some rabbiting would be necessary. The free use of electricity by the employees was not usual, especially when plentj of wood vias available. Witness said that assuming that just over 2000 cubic yards of gravel Avas taken by the County Council pursuant to the Public Works Act, he thought a royalty should be claimed. He did not, think that the spreading of 68 yards on a road and the direct benefit to the station was a sufficient recompense. He thought that 6d a yard should be paid as well. The witness was still in the box when the court adjourned till tomorrow. Counsel for the defence had begun his cross-examination.