71

I.—sa

a certificate of title to the Wellington City Council and then the Council conveying to Mr. T. K. Macdonald. If you approve of this course 1 will instruct the Commissioner of Crown Lands to deal with it in this manner. " Wm. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary. " Enclosures : Cabinet authority attached." My minute on this letter was, — " Draft letter advising H.W. the Mayor accordingly. "R. McNab. 11/9/07." The following is the minute of the Under-Secretary: — " Hon. the Minister of Lands. " Reply herewith for your signature of approval. " Wm. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary. 13/9/07." My reply sent to His Worship the Mayor was dated the 14th September, 1907, and is as follows : — " Re Improvement of Woodward Street. " Sir.—Referring again to your letter to me of the sth September, and my reply to you of the 6th September, I find that Cabinet agreed as to the price to be paid for the strip of land in question—namely, £652. If, therefore, your Council will pay this amount to the Receiver of Land Revenue to the credit of the Hon. T. K. Macdonald, the Commissioner of Crown Lands xvill be instructed to issue a certificate of title direct to him, instead of the more elaborate process of first issuing a certificate of titte to your Council and then your Council conveying it to the Hon. T. K. Macdonald. " I have, &c, " Robert McNab." Then, steps were taken by the Wellington Land Board to give effect to the arrangement. From the Receiver of Land Revenue he (the Minister) gathered that the cheque paid to him came from the office of Messrs. Brandon, Hislop, and Johnson, solicitors to the parties concerned. There xvas no evidence whether the cheque originated xvith the City Treasurer or with some private individual. That was the xvhole transaction as far as the Government were concerned. Mr. Aitken asked whether the Minister had understood that the area was o'4 perches or 404 perches. The Hon. Mr. McNab said he could only judge from the documents before him. Mr. Kennedy Macdonald's letter said, " To accomplish this it is necessary that the Council should absorb some four or five perches of the present section at the corner of Woodxvard Street." Subsequently the letter spoke of "a section of somewhat similar size and value." Four or five perches seemed to him "somewhat similar in size and value " to the other area of 6J perches further along. Motion agreed to, and papers laid on the table. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. McNab, the papers were ordered to be printed, and referred to the Lands Committee for consideration and report.

APPENDIX B. SlR — Sept. sth, 1907. The Wellington Council, being anxious to obtain a little land from Mr. T. K. Macdonald for the purpose of improving Woodward Street, asked him to make an arrangement xvith the Council. He made what were considered advantageous terms to the Council, and they were completed. They involved the Council applying to the Land Department for the grant of a piece of land adjoining, and, if successful, passing it over to Mr. Macdonald at the valuation put on it. The Department has valued it at what the Councillors think a fairly high price; but, as it is Mr. Macdonald's affair, no question is raised on that point, I, however, find that the Council, once acquiring the land, cannot sell it again, but I am also advised that we can ask the Crown, ; n pursuance of the arrangements, to make the grant to Mr. Macdonald direct, we paying you the purchase-money and he paying us. The xvork is one which we hoped to have done last year, as it is somewhat urgent, and xvill make a great improvement in the city from Lambton Quay to the Terrace. May I ask you to co-operate xvith us in carrying out the arrangement. The Department has already agreed to sell to the Council at a sum fixed. All xve ask is that the grant should be made to Mr. Macdonald on the same terms he has arranged to give us what we want. Yours obediently, The Hon. the Minister of Lands, Wellington. T. W. Hislop.