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178
lar intervals over a wide area; which is what must
occur if the Amendment Act should be largely had
recourse to. If a Vestry is to have and maintain
model property for the poorest classes it is at least
necessary that this property should occupy definite
if not selected areae, so that it may be advantageously
arranged and capable of easy supervision.
But nothing of this kind is possible under the Act.
It is for the landlord alone to determine whether his
condemned property shall be bought by the Vestry.
The Vestry has no power whatever to compel him to
sell if he does not wish to do so. Neither has it any
power of compulsory purchase in regard to adjoining
property, excepting in a particular case. In a case
which I have recently reported to the Vestry as
suitable to be dealt with under Torrens's Act, the
Vestry will probably be required to purchase property
on which it will be impossible to re-erect
dwelling-houses. The money spent in its purchase
will under present circumstances be wholly thrown
away; whereas, if powers of compulsory purchase
had been possessed, a useful and valuable improvement
might be effected. Either compulsory powers
should be given to Vestries, or Vestries should be
empowered to sell the condemned properties (of
which a landlord wishes to rid himself) by auction,