Messrs Driver and Maclean's wool store was then built and stood upon Rattray street and abutting what has since become Willis street. Mr Sparrow bought two quarter-acre sections and Messrs A and T. Burt two also. This was a Government sale, and witness had been in the habit of attending these sales. He was particularly attracted to this sale on account of the prospect of increased values through the Harbour Board improvements. He bought in the expectation that as the Harbour Board scheme was advanced the land would increase in value —in fact that it would greatly increase. He had made some calculations with the view of arriving at the value of the land taking the several standards as com parison which had been given in evidence He assumed that in ten years from July, 188 3 the date of tbe taking of his laud, it would acquire at least half the rateable value of that sold by Mr Reid to the A.M P Society in 18S4 for £5000, Calculating at the same rate, it brought out that the 23.3 perches taken from x t(£ e, ther would amount in ten years to £16,067; but as he only assumed it to acquire half the value in ten years that sum became £8033. That was the sum'total at the end of ten years. Then it was a matter of actuarial calculation to reduce that to the present value, which was £4931 11s 4d, taking interest at 5 per cent. That was the sum claim able for the land actually taken Then the next point was to ascertain the depre ciation to the area, for which he made a similar calculation. The prospective value at the same rate as what Mr Keid sold in ten years would be £32,000. Taking half of that, £16,000 became the assumed value in ten years of what was left The present value of £16,000 payable ten yea's hence, would be £9822. Then he took one third of that as representing the depreciation of what was left, which was £3274. The result of these two calculations was that on that basis he could claim £4931 for laud taken, and £3274 for depreciation, or a total of £8205, which was considerably beyond what he actually claimed. 