BLOCK 5a ENQUIRY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2066, 18 August 1875, Page 2

BLOCK 5a ENQUIRY.

t.ThfivWArdenreifum^.hirenquiryf^uto the grievances of the dwellers on *thii Block tojctay at his private office. 1 '*-' f 'r Robert Walker Fairbairn said^lf was holder of a miner's";right in 1.1866./ I purchased the right of John Paton under his application of. 'July 23rd, 1868. I afterwards* lg£de application, myself for the..sanie^groußd^on.lst September, 1869. i I J am "still in possession of the premises. , I was obliged to take a lease out iirconsequence,of threats of summons. .I r paid ;rent at the raije'tjr £4 a year.*' I*hare ' B;^' !5 U(^ don't mean to pay : any 'more 'p I can,,j;void it. Warded I Davy refused to allow my.. application ' though I was there several times." T<) ••"•"' . (The Warden said- there was some 'doubt whethei^he land occupied-by this claimant and two others was in thVßlock or 'hot; he "would,""however, have it isurveyed.)... _ .. .. ! James Stone said —I came to the Thames about March, 18^1. I purchased a house from Archibald;}lcLoughry for j£l7 10s, which he gav^me* receipt for, jit was sold as held^VdetittTner'i right. The house is Bituat*ft to theisfitith of Fair* bairn's. I have paid wn^ to-Mr Graham - -about £5, andrXoweabcHrf;£9. I have taken no leaieir-^^^jQut is £6 per annum. •' •T'^'* "

: Angus Cameron Campbell said-^-I held a,miner's, right, in 1868 and .purchased a r house and allotment from Daniel Riordari. for £14 (receipt produced).:. I applied for site in February or March 1869. It was refused. I paid survey fee again, on the Same application on December- 13, 1869 arid; again failed. I hive been in posses-i sion of the place ever since. I pay Mr Graham^-.rent at £4 a year; Staid hay« ' paid him about £10. • 'William'Carthew said—l bought part of two allotments from Kent, in February 1873/- It wfts the first house built thereand had passed into his hands from Caidecott. I paid £26 10s for it. I had just come from the West Coast. I bought it. because I believed it was held under a ihiner'B;fjl,<?ht;;' Mr Graham made no application" for "rent till six montls' after I was there. I pay him £4 a year.,. -- : John -Caldecott —I was the owner of a miner's right in 1868, and applied for an .allotment, the same as the last witness spoke about. I was. asked for rent liy ,- Mr Graham at' £10 a year. I refused to rpay it through.Mr Mackay telling me ;/r not-to •pay it, and* he would see me righted. Then I sold-it to Lewis Ballin, who sold it to some one else, and'it is now in possession of Car the w. I paid no rent, but sold it for less money by, £?0 than I should have done otherwise. .'. ' John McKnight said —I bought an allotment with house in March 1870 from a: West Coast digger named Bashford for £7/: .In; Apr.il.the same year I applied for .. a 1 certificate, anAwastoldi,t,:^vas no use '; %as Mr Graham claimed it, he "applied ty> yjears after foriteht,.andl was.voblig«tffoV come to terms to pay £3 a year rent to hinu .--"•-•■ifri > '• ■- • "■• "";"' i James^Baggott said that in or: about;. January 1871, I purchased a^liousem * Block 5a from Alfred Stanton for fifty shillings. I got possession and hold it., still. I never have been applied to "for rent. A portion of the allotment was taken off me by Mr Graham's ■surveyor and given to Mr Williams. I 'asked at tho Warden's office about the site, and hearing Mr Graham claimed it •took no further trouble about" it,:-_ liwa* ■' told I could not get it without the consent of the Quoßrijof Beauty shareholders. . i These were all,,the complaints.