CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11510, 5 October 1915, Page 6

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

LAND AT LAKE COLERIDGE. MUHCHISON TRUSTEES v. MINISTER OF PUBLIC WOIIKS. A sitting of tJio Compensation Court was held this morning, before his Honor Mr Justice Stringer, when tin; claim of George Gould, Kenneth James Sinclair Murchison, lan Roderick Coderidge Murchison, and Donald Sinclair Murchison, trustees of tho estate of tho lato John Murchison, for £3152 12s 3d, from the Hon W. Eraser, Minister of Public Works, was taken. The claim was for compensation for land taken under the Public Works Act in connection with tho L..k© Coleridge electrical scheme. Mr Acland, with liiin Mr Hunter, appeared for the claimants, and Mr S. G. Raymond, K.G., for the respondent. Tho assessors were:—For the claimants, Mr A. Boyle; for the respondent, Mr H. H. Ostler, K.C. Mr .Hunter .said that tho claimants were the trustees of the estate of the late John Murchison, and carried on business as &heep farmers, having freehold lands amounting to about 10,000 acres, and leasehold lands amounting to rtoout 50,000 acres. The work in connection with tho Lake Coleridge electrical scheme was commenced in August, 1911, and was completed about live months Evidence would be brought to show that tho carrying on of the work had seriously interfered with the operations on the farm, to such an extent that serious loss had resulted. The work of blasting and tunnelling had considerably frightened the sheep, and had seriously affected tlieir marketable value. The proclamation taking the land was gazetted on August 20, 1913. and took effect on September 30. 1913. On January 30, 191-5, the claimants forwarded a claim to the Minister of Public Works for 178 acres 3 roods and 48 perches. As the land taken for the road had been taken under the Land Act, the claimants recognised that they unable to claim compensation for that land, but they wished the Court to determine its value. Mr Raymond objected to this course. Mr Hunter suggested that the value of that land should be assessed in order to guide the Court in assessing the value of the other land. There was no claim in connection with the land xaicon for the road. _ This suggestion was agreed to by Mr Raymond. . Continuing, Mr Hunter said that on June 28, 1915, the claimants received a letter from the Department offering the sum of £IOOO as full compensation for tho land, and on July o, 1910, a formal reply was sent declining the offer. He proposed to call evidence to show how the carrying out of the work had interfered with the operations or the station, the value, of the lands taken, and the depreciation and loss which the claimants had sufieicd. Kenneth James Sinclair Murchison, i one of the trustees for the Murchison i I'M ate, saidi that at the time the land 1 was taken the trustees ;.vere his mother Sirs Janet Murchison, and MiGeorge Gould. He had been working on tho property for eleven or twelve years. Mr Vickermau, the Public Works engineer, and four or five others arrived on the land about November, 1910. and a- survey was then commenced. In May, 1911, the navvies arrived and commenced the work or laving the transmission lines. The witness gave particulars of the interference in the work of the station at* I a result of the work of the navvies. A largo number of fences had been cut down and great difficulty had been experienced in keeping the sheep togther, particularly at shearing time. A lagoon m tho estate which had been used for watering stock had been completely dried up since the tunnel had been made, which had never occurred before. The noise of the engines and of the blasting had the effect of disturiling the sheep to their detriment. They were mostly merino sheep, and were sensitive to such noises. went on for about eighteen months or two years, and could bo heard many miles away. There was a certain amount of noise at the power-house, but tho greatest noise occurred during the riveting together of the pip 6 lines. Ass a result of the disturbance they had to take the f.wes off the land to other places and replace idiom with i hoggets, in tho vicinity of tho woik in connection with l-he _ electrical scheme. With merino sheep it was impossible to get them accustomed to the noise, and they had tried all nays to work the land. With regard to the land which had been severed by tho road, tho water had been cut off one of the sections, and they were also out up into awkward. sluipos. _As a result of there being no water in ono of the sections, it had been found to be of no use to them. To Mr Raymond: Ho did not think the land on' the flat sit the Tieaa of the lake v. as as good as that which had been taken. "it had never been, tested, and would* not be so valuable owing to being so far away from civilisation. The sheafing records for the past live years had been kept- and were at tliu station. There was also a. record of the prices of the clips, and this could bn produced. The wool was railed f *oin ("oiilga-t-c, and it was carted by traction cng?no to C-oalgate. lie hail spoken to Mr kissel, the engineer in ch. ; sr ; \eral times about tbe trouble caused by dogs. Ho had also spoken to the men nb'>nt. trespassing on Ins property. Lan Ucdcrick Oolerulgo Murchis-on said that he had been on tho Lako j Ooloridp l ' property all his lito, and had | been a working manager for ten years. : Tho statement* made by his brother • as lo the noise and disturbances were correct. In 1!'09 he had o0 per cent t\\'"p -toilnurjno e.vos on the properly, in 19! i; they had A] per cent, in lUll per ecu:. in 1.5 Ml' '-3 pe'" cent, in no record v..t< taken, and in ltd 1n« merino < v,e> were placed en the land, merino and hall-bred Jioggeis | boil sir place'.! on it, insti-nd. I (rroceeiiifli;.j 1