COMPENSATION COURT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVIII, Issue 12364, 2 December 1904, Page 5

COMPENSATION COURT.

THE FLAXBOURNE ESTATE CASE,

Per Press Association

BLENHEIM, December 1. The Compensation Court sat to-day to resume iibe hearing of the case, Clifford v. the Minister for Lands, in which a claim of £410,000 is made in connection \W.th th^rtaMng -.of■ 3he^F;^Ktypurn%Est|ate uM^'tHe ctfmpußiory provisions of lands -for settlement legislation. Mr. justice Cooper presided, and the assessors are Mr. J. G- Wilson (on behalf.'of ■ the owners), and Mr. T. Kennedy"*Mac£ donald tef^behalf o|,thes Government), Courisfelwrclaimanfe are—Messrs Skerretfa and Johnston (Wellington), and; MeCaJiihrm (Blenheim). Couni<el for the respondent are Mr. Sim (Dunedin), Dr. D. M. Findlay (Wellington), and Mr. Connolly■ (Blenheim)." The -preliminary stages of the case There heard in December lasfc year. On this occasion the Minister put in an amended scheme of classification, showing .the total area tio be 57,179 acres, of which 8657 are classed as firsW.iass and 20,571 acres as secondclasa Oand. The claimants are Sir George Clifford, of Canterbury; -Walter L. Clifford, of Flaxbourne; F. C. Clifford, London, and C. W. Clifford, Shropshire, -England.•••■'■ They claim the reservations, amounting: to QoeO^acres. The Court is now_engaged dm determining the classification of the land for the purpose of deciding the question of the reservations to which the owners are entitled, and the amount of ; compensation for this purpose. The Crowa has opened by cal!r ing evidence to establish its suggested classification, and1 the whole or the day lias been occupied in, taking the evidence of T. N. Broderick,, Government Surveyor, Avho carried out the work. There are a 'large number of witnesses, and the caso is likely to last two or three wooks.