WELLINGTON LEASES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144359, 25 March 1914, Page 3

WELLINGTON LEASES.

ACTION BY CITY COUNCIL. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, March 24. That the ground rentals of certain' corporation property in the lower part of Lambton Quay were assessed too lowwas the basis of an action heard bofcro the Chief Justice (Sir Hobert Stout) at the Supremo Court to-day, when a motion was moved on behalf of tho City Council that the award fixing the leasee in dispute made by William Mouat Haitnay, Joseph I 1 rime Maxwell, and dated October 31, 1910, be sot aside, on. the ground that "William Mouat Hftnnay and Alexander Macintosh bad miscondnctod themselves, in thai they did not act judicially and wore biased in favour of tho leasees." Tho motion further set out- that rentals for the renewed term of fourteen years were "grossly under what a prudent lessee would give for tho ground." The sections affected are in Customhouse Quay, Brandon and Panama Streets, and Lambton Quay;, and aro occupied by several lessees, Aitken, Witson and Co., Kirlizaldio and Stains, Hall 'and Knight, and George and Kersley. In opening in support of the motion, Mr. T." F. Martin said that tho awards were decreed to lie so low compared with the rentals paid by other lessees for similr.r leases that the City Council ba<l thought it .was its duty to bring; the matter before the court, particularly as a considerable number of valuations had yet to be made. The rase was unfinished when the court rose.