COMPENSATION CLAIM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11511, 6 October 1915, Page 6

COMPENSATION CLAIM.

LAND AT LAKE COLERIDGE. MURCHISON TRUSTEES v. MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS. The sitting of the Compensation i Court was resumed tins morning before his Honor Mr Justice Stringer, when tho claim of the Murchison Trustees for £3152 12s 3d from the Hon W. Fraser, .Minister of Pubnc Works, was continued, the claim being for land taken under tho Publio Works Act in connection with t-ao Lake. Coleridge electrical scheme. Mr A. Boyle was assessor for the Claimants, and Air H. H. Ostler, K.C., was assessor for the respondent. Mr H. D. Ac.and, with him Mr W. J. Hunter, appeared for the claimants, and Mr S. G. Raymond, K.C., for the respondent. Wiiiiam Logan, recalled, gave_ evidence regarding the depreciation in the j value of tho land which had been caused' by the :construction of the works. Alfred Cummings, station manager, said that until recently ho was manager for Mr George Gerard at Double Hill, Mount Algidus and Mesopotamia. Ho had known the Lake Coleridge station 1 for about forty years, and knew it to bo very favourable for wintering sheep. The witness gave details of the class of land on the estate and the advantages it possessed as sheep country. Mr Acland stated that tho freehold land' in the Lake Coleridge Estate consisted of 11,706 acres 2 roods and 32 perches. The leasehold land consisted of 35,773 acres, Canterbury College leases, the rent for which amounted to £1250 per annum, and 18,000 acres of Government land, the rent for which amounted to £4O per annum. Mr Raymond said that there would be at tho close of the caso certain legal propositions which ho would put befor© tho Court, and he asked his Honor's permission to call the evidence first and to bring these propositions before the Court afterwards. His Honor agreed to this course. Frederick Kisseli, civil engineer, said that he went to the Lake Coleridge station in connection with the electrical scheme in February, 1910, and remained there as engineer until March, 1915. He produced a locality plan of the Lake Coleridge and Acheron runs, and pointed out tho tracks used. by the men employed at the works during the carrying out of the electrical scheme. Regarding the noises, witness said that there was a whistle at the head of the tram line, which blew four timefi a day during a period of twelve months. The contractors for the pipe lines also had a whistle on the air compressor i which blew at the same times during a period of about six months. The pumping machinery was driven by an electric motor and did not make much noise. There were no steam driven engines to mako much noise, and tho sound could not be heard more than a few yards away. The blasting inside the tunnel could .scarcely bo heard outside after the first month or two of the work, as the shaft at its shallowest depth was 70 feet below the surface, and the remainder was from 70 feet to 200 feet below the surface. The outside blasting was carried on on tho Lake shore for about three years, and sometimes could be heard two milt's away. The blasting was done intermittently, and the average would bo about three days a week. There was considerable noise, inside tho powor-houso, but it could not be heard outside for more than about live chains away unless a person listened specially for it. The traction engines made about eighteen trips a month for about two years, bur, there were a number of oilier traction engines used for carting along the same roads. There was also a number of private, motor-cars used on the roads, in addition to the Public Works cars. There was no occasion for the men to trespass on the Murchisoiv'iS property since the completion of the works. 1 Mr Raymond read a lengthy report by the witness on the progress of the works, and the disturbances caused during their construction James Michael Kelly, Government valuer far North Canterbury, gave evidence as to the value of tho property. He said that three objections had been received from the Murchison Trustees regarding the value placed on the. land, and in each case tho unimproved value was reduced. He had visited the property twice recently. Ho valued the village site of 34 acres at .£4 per acre, and of the remaining 4(5 acres he valued 9 acres near wboro the camp was at £b' per acre and the other 37 acres ho Tallied at £4 per acre. Hq considered

that sorno of tho land could be used for turnips and oaU, but it was more suitable for sheep on account of tho \vi"Hs. He valued the piece of land which had been taken for tho. reservoir at Lj. L(;-, por acre, and tho land taken I'll- tho zig-zag road at the same value per aero. Tho tt acres in tho Acheron property he valued at £l2 per aero owing to tho good qualify of the land, anil it,-; (.•](>;<» pro.\iniitv to tho homc,stead. Mr A eland cross-examined tho witness considerable length on tho value of tlio land and 'its; carrying capacity. Archibald Blackwood, powerhouse, superintendent at Lake Coleridge, said that ho had been employed the.ro since •January 8, 191 t. The number of men employed there at present was seven, and this number will shortly bo reduced. Tlio witness gave evidence as to the precautions taken to prevent any disturbance on tho Murchisous' property. John Cameron, overseer at tho Lake Coleridge powerhouse, and James Stcv<*:ison. farmer and runholder of Flaxtoq. also gave evidence. (Proceeding.)