Hogg & Menzie to F G Shears Esq. Director, 31 August 1944

Hogg & Menzie to F G Shears Esq. Director, 31 August 1944

Hogg & Menzie
Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries
A B Hogg, K.C.
City Solicitor Offices:
McFarland Building Lethbridge, Alberta Canda August 31st, 1944
F G Shears Esq.
Director,
Japanese Evacuation Section,
Department of the Secretary of State,
506 Royal Bank Building, Vancouver, B.C.
Your file 5420. Reg. No. 14462
Dear Sir:
Mr. Kayemon Shikaze, now of Picture Butte, Alberta, has come to us with your letter addressed to him and dated July 19th, 1944. By this it appears that certain property of Mr. Shikaze was sold by your Department to the Director under Veterans' Land Act at the price of $452.00. Description of the property is Lots 1 to 12 inclusive, Block 4 of South-West Quarter of Section 21 in Township 17, Map 332, District of New Westminster .
Mr. Shikaze complains about the price at which this property of his was sold and gives us this information:-
The 12 lots in question contain 3 acres. On one lot there is situate a Service Station with garage and store connected. This one lot, he says, rented for $24.00 a month which would mean $288.00 a year, and he had an offer recently for this one lot of $2,000.00. On the other eleven Lots he says he was growing strawberries for marketing and they should have a substantial value. Recently he said he was offered $5,000.00 for the twelve lots.
On the face of this information it seems to us reasonable that this man should have the explanation he seeks if, insofar as we infer from your letter to him, all these twelve lots were sold at the price of only $542.00.
At the same time Mr. Shikaze instructs us to seek further information about a sale of other property of his on which there should be a payment coming to him. This property was the west 4.89 acres of Lot 7 of S.W.¼ of N.E.¼ of Section 20, in Township 17, Map 543, lettered "A" on Sketch 4463, District of New Westminster . This property, Mr. Shikaze tells us, sold for $1050.00, $300.00 paid down. He thinks there should be another payment coming to him by this time.
Yours truly, Per (signature illegible)

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Hogg & Menzie to F G Shears Esq. Director, 31 August 1944

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Encoder: Ariel Merriam
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Terminology

Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice. See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.