CO129-557-6 Tenure of lands held by War Department 16-1-1936 - 25-1-1937 — Page 37

SA

37

bc.

NOTE.

Enclosure 4

in No. 4.

Yes

I take it that the objects of the present

negotiations are,

(a) to ascertain as nearly as possible in

what way the position of the plots in question differs

from that of normal Colonial Military Land;

(b) in the light of this, to devise the most

equitable adjustment which will enable them to be

converted into Colonial Military Land.

The following points are not disputed by

either authority: -

(1) that the War Department has at various

dates, either by direct payment to the lessees originally

concerned, or by refunding to the Colonial Government the

payments made on behalf of the Department, paid in cash

for its acquisition of the leasehold interest in the

plots.

(2) that the waiver of the Crown Rent was

normally and deliberately made by the Colonial Government.

(1) appears to have been conceded by the

Colonial Government, although one of the references to

these payments, in the W.D. letter of the 17th September,

1929, appears to indicate that they represent only the

cost of resuming the land in question, and are analagous

to charges which would under present arrangements be met

by the W.D. If that is the case, they cannot be regarded

as conferring the rights of disposal claimed by the War

Office, and the admission of this right represents a

considerable concession on the part of the Colonial

Government.

The point is rea

cally, that this Exact nature of these recinbursements is no longer ascertainable.

Again,