CO129-480 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [4-7] — Page 73

71

,291,446.

$11.2

para. 7 of 12742)

in the near future. The surrender by the War

Department of a portion oftheir sites would of course tend to relieve the pressure and to lower the values of the rest.

The local Government have agreed with the local military authorities on a valuation price The War Office refuse to accept this agreement, and distrust the opinion of their local staff in a transaction of such magnitude. They said that an independent surveyor should be appointed to deter- mine the values in accordance with the provision in the 1894 circular.

Further they are not agreeable to dealing with the surrender of portions of their properties piecemeal: the whole must be surrendered at one transaction.

The Colonial Government and unofficial opinion have become furious at the "obstructive attitude of the War Office". The Governor mentions "violent protests against the maintenance of the present contribution" (20% of revenue less certain items)

The Governor says that it is a question of local values, and he would only agree to an indepen- dent valuer if he has local knowledge and if War Office pay the cost of his services; the arrangement for an independent survey at the expense of the Colonial Government in the 1894 circular was only to apply in the event of a disagreement between the Colonial and Military authorities: the Governor claims that as the local military authorities are not in conflict with the Colonial Government, any

independent