The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning Thursday, October 17, 1889. REGISTRATION OF DEEDS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 365, 17 October 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning

Thursday, October 17, 1889. REGISTRATION OF DEEDS.

Be just and fear not • Let all the oada thou aim’st at be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth’s.

It is not so very long since that Gisborne was agitating for several reforms These included the liberty to construct a harbor and the establishment of a Supreme Court, a Stamp Office, a Native Land Court office, and a Deeds Registry office. One by one these have all—with the exception of the last—been granted to us. Whether of these concessions the harbor has proved an unqualified blessing, is very much open to question, but there is not the slightest doubt that the others have been an immense boon to the district.

But the agitation, so far as it concerned a Deeds Registry Office has not yet borne any fruit—without we can call numerous promises such. To meet the wants of such districts as this, an Act was passed in 1886 authorising the appointment of District Agents who would for a small charge receive and forward to the District Land Registrar all deeds lodged with them for registration. It was certainly understood at that time that the benefit of the Act would be extended to Gisborne, and an agent appointed here. Yet while Wanganui, Timaru, Greymouth, and Hawera have each received an Agent, Gisborne, although over three years have elapsed since the passing of the Act, is still left out in the cold. As a consequence, deeds are still forwarded for registration by the dilatory and expensive means of Napier agents. An idea of the expense that this unsatisfactory method must cast upon purchasers and others may be gathered from the fact that it has been found cheaper to allow deeds to accumulate for a short time in the Gisborne solicitor’s office to be eventually forwarded to Napier by a clerk expressly sent for the purpose. By the Rules gazetted under “ The Deeds and Instruments Registration Act, 188.6,” the maximum charge allowed to be made by District Agents for forwarding each instrument is five shillings. We think some steps ought to be taken to secure the appointment of a District Agent for Gisborne. There is not the least reason why we should nor keep in the place the large sqm that is forwarded to Napier for agency purposes, and there would be no trouble in Sliding a suitable man for the appointment. The agents already appointed are the Postmasters in their respective districts. Mr Beswick makes a very good Deputy Commissioner of Stamps, and would give j,qst as piuch satisfaction as a Dist rict Agent; We should, of course, prefer to h?ve a Deeds Reg airy Office opened, but half a loaf is better than no bread,” We are entitled to consideration, and we feel sure that the matter only requires 19 be suitably brought under the notice of the Government by O)jr representative or by the Mayor and County Chairman, to have the want of th# district in that direction attended to.