CO129-320 - Governor Sir Blake Acting Governor May - 1903 [11-12] — Page 129

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4.

time and as there was no one available in the other Government

Departments that I would do the work myself as far as able.

I at once communicated with all the Marine

lot-holders and with the assistance of nearly all the Archi- tects and surveyors in the Colony obtained the requisite ac- ceptances within the given Like all the Marine Lotholders

coming into the scheme except 8.

5.

-

It was then necessary to get the Agree-

ments prepared and to save time Governor Sir G. William Des Voeux gave me special power to act for him in the signing of

the Agreements.

8.

The necessary printing of the Agreements and preparation of the attached plans were not sufficiently completed until the rd. October - leaving only 3 days to get the Agreements signed - I gave special notice to all the assent- ing Marine Lotholders to call at the Land Office to complete the Agreements. The Lessees began to call on the 24th, and came in increasing numbers on the 25th, and it was not until late on Saturday the 26th. the very last day that the last of the Agreements could be signed by me on behalf of the Governor and during these three days I had to work almost continually all day and far into the night to keep matters straight.

7.

When I found that many of the Lessees were:

bringing with them their first deposit of 25 per cent I sent into the Treasury and also to the Governor through the Colonial Secretary for assistance in counting and collecting the money but it was not until the following week that arrangements

conld be made.

8.

The consequence was that I had to count and collect the deposits myself in the meantime with the as- sistence of the Land Office Clerk. On Saturday the 28th. 1

arranged