CO129-480 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [4-7] — Page 71

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Creasury Chambers,

Whitehall...

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Local Government. military authorities and the wes Office have agreed & figure for valuation, apparently #11,300,000, but the War Office are not prepared to trust the judgment of their local officers in a transaction of this magnitude

and desire to appeal to higher technical authority. They are accordingly asking us to agree to send out Sir John Oakley, a Surveyor of great eminence, at a fee of 2,500 guineas plus travelling expenses. Stubbs would apparently agree to an appeal to a local surveyor, and the Office of Works local surveyor has been suggested, but is understood to object to a surveyor from home on the ground that

The War he would not know local conditions.

office therefore want us to agree to send out Oakley for advice ex parte.

I don't know what power you have to

give directions to Stubbs, but I would appeal to you to advise him very strongly to accept Oakley's

arbitration.

I don't think that Stubbs'

argument against a non-local man is valid. It

would be the business of the arbitrator to acquaint

himself with local conditions and the parties can

state their views before him, For aught I know

Oakley's opinion may be adverse to the War Office

view. I would not object to the war office sharing

Oakley's charges, which apparently under the Circulars

ought to be borne by the Colonial Government, or even

at a pinch bearing more, but perhaps you needn't tell

Stubba so.

I hope you can help us in this matter.

Yours ever,

Sh Barstow-

/arbitration