71

I.—ll

19tli July, ISB6. Melville, Esq., Auckland. —It lias been stated ia evidence before the Public Accounts Committee that you were at one time offered Mr. Stark's property, Takapuna Point, for sale. The Committee request you will be good enough to telegraph price and particulars, and whether from §tark direct. Reply paid. —P. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee. Auckland, 19th July, 1886.— F. J. Moss, M.H.R., Wellington.—Mr. Alison away. Back in the morning at nine.— G. Hedley, clerk. Auckland, 20th July, 188 C—P. J. Moss, M.H.E., Wellington.—Mr. Stark's property jat Takapuna Point was not in our hands nor on our books for sale. —Alex. Alison, Jun. Wellington, 19th July, 1886.—The Chairman, Public Accounts Committee.—Sir,—Enclosed I hand you letter received from Messrs. Ashton and Sons, forwarded by them to me on account of their having seen a paragraph in the Auckland Star (copy of which is attached to the letter), also a copy of instructions given to them by Mr. Stark re the sale of his property.—Yours, &c, E. MiTOHBLSON. No. 8, New Zealand Insurance Buildings, Queen Street, Auckland, 13th July, 1886.— E. Mitehelson, Esq., M.H.R., Wellington.—Dear Sir,—With reference to Stark's matter, now before you, and about which we received telegrams; from yourself and Mr. Moss, to both of which we replied, we now give you a little further and fuller information than we could in telegram ; and, for this purpose, enclose you a copy of Mr. Stark's instructions to us to sell this property in thrao different ways. We have it in Mr. Stark's own writing, dated the 4th August, 1883, and was withdrawn from sale about beginning of 1885. Wo have the plans of it still, showing the threo portions—that is, the house and five acres for £3,000 : .house and eight and a half acres for £3,500 ; and house and all improvements and twenty acres for £5,000. Others besides Mr. Stark and ourselves were trying to sell, but could not find a purchaser for £5,000 ; and certainly land and house property has not risen in value since that time, as you know yourself. We are induced to write you on this matter, having "read in last night's Star that Mr. Seaman and Mr. Alison, two witnesses before the Public Accounts Committee, both say that the price paid was a fair one.—We are, &0., H. Ashton and Son. [Extract from the Evening Star, 12th July, 1886.—The Public Accounts Committee resumed the inquiry into the Stark purchase to-day. Mr. Seaman and Mr. Alison, two of the witnesses from Auckland, both say the price paid was a fair one.] Copy of instructions received from Mr. Stark, -Ith August, 1883.— (1.) House, stable, cow-shod, fowlhouses, &c, with five acres of land, having part frontage to main road (50ft.), fenced complete, one entrance-gate, sea-front-age, with concrete way to beach, £3,000. Terms : Quarter cash ; balance at 6 per cent, for three years. (2.) House, lodge, stable, two entrance-gates, cow-shed, &c, complete, fenced, and oight and half acres of land, having main-road a,nd sea-frontage, £3,500. Terms : One-fifth cash ; balance 5 per cent, threo years. (3.) The above, and twenty acres to Narrow Neck, having sea and main-road frontages, thoroughly drained with tiles and titre, £5,000. One-fifth cash ; balance 4 per cent, for three years. Present insurances to bo kept on properties in my name—house, £1,400; stables, £200 ; lodge, £200. 20th July, 1886.— W. Wilkinson, 177 Queen Street, Auckland. — The Public Accounts Committee request you will be good enough to state date and particulars of offer of Stark's property at Takapuna Point made to you, and by whom made. Reply paid. —P. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee. 20th July, 1880.— W. Aitken, Esq., Auckland. — Referring to your telegram re Stark's property at Takapuna Point, the Public Accounts Committee would be obliged by your stating what you consider it would have been likely to bring in January last in the open market, in one block, for cash.— F. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee. Auckland, 20th July, 1886.—P. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Wellington.—Evidence apparently given under a misconception. Instructions received by me from Stark about nine months ago wore as follows : Ton acres, with buildings and imnrovements, £4,000 ; ten and three-quarter acres adjoining, £3,000. This left seven acres, which Stark at that time reserved from sale, valued, say, at £2,100: total, £9,100.— T. Leigh White. 20th July, 1880.— T. L. White, Auckland.—Telegram received. Can you give the exact date ? Reply paid.— F. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee. Auckland, 20th July, 1886.— F. J. Moss, Esq., Wellington.—The offer made of Stark's property to me was through an agent whoso name I cannot at present recall. I was asked to exchange two properties, valued at that time at about five thousand two hundred pounds, for Stark's property. I did not inquire if that included the whole of Stark's land or not, as I did not wish to exchange. This happened about four years ago. —T. Melville. Auckland, 20th July, 1886.— F. J. Moss, M.H.R., Wellington.—lmpossible to state what Stark's property would have realized in January if sold in one lot for cash. Last September I sold Sheep Mount, eleven acres, for five thousand pounds. This "land is near Stark's, and one-half only available for building-lots.—W. Aitken. S. Cochrane, sen., Auckland.—E. Alison has given evidence of an offer by him through your firm of sixteen thousand pounds for Stark's property. The Public Accounts Committee request you will bo good enough to telegraph at once copy of the offer. Reply paid.—P. J. Moss, Chairman. Auckland, 21st July, 1886.— F. J. Moss, Esq., Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Wellington.—T. L. White at a conversation in Auckland Club on Easter Monday, eighteen eighty-five, offered me Stark's property, Takapuna Point, for £5,000. Acreage was not mentioned. I was building at Ellerslio at that time, and told him if he could sell Ellerslie property for £3,000 I would give £4,500 for Stark's. Nothing came of it.—Tiieo. Coopeb. Auckland, 21st July, 1880.— F. J. Moss, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Government Buildings, Wellington.—Cannot fix exact dates. I offered Cooper house and ten acres for £5,000 in April, 1885 ; and Stark's amended instructions were given to me some months afterwards.—T. L. White. Auckland, 21st July, 1880.— F. J. Moss, Esq., Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Wellington.—Terms of offer were given in my telegram to you. Date of offer about twelve months ago. Written offer to Mr. Brown, landagent, Vauxhall, next door to me. Will got offer when I see Brown, but know the terms were as telegraphed to you by me. If not, will wire again.—W. Wilkinson, 177, Queen Street. Auckland, 17th July, 1886.— E. W. Alison, Albion Hotel, Wellington.—Offered Vino's, August, 1883. House, eight acres, £3,500. No other record, certain.—Alex. Alison, Jun. Auckland, 15th July, 1886.— E. W. Alison, House of (Representatives, Wellington.—You offered me Stark's house and ten acres of land for £3,500 in March, 1884. I wrote the offer down in your presence in my office, which I submitted to Mr. Le Bailley. He declined in favour of the land he bought.—R. J. Roberts. Auckland, 14th July, 1886.— E. W. Alison, Albion Hotel, Wellington.—No record such offer. Hedley or myself know nothing of it. Roberts says you did. —Alex. Alison, Jun. Auckland, 15th July, 1886.— E. W. Alison, House of Representatives, Wellington.—May Fourteenth, 1884, you offer 95ft., Beach Road, for £1,250. Only offer on record or otherwise to Roberts that wo know of.—Alex. Alison, Jun.

Authority: Geokge Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lBB6.