​Letter to Office of the Custodian from Choju Matsushita

Scroll Down For Transcript
Scanned black-and-white microfilm of a typedwritten copy of a letter addressed to the government from Choju Matsushita regarding dispossession of their property.
Lemon Creek,
Solcan City, British Columbia
​Office of the Custodian,
506 Royal Bank Building,
Hastings and Granville Street,
Vancouver, British Columbia

Copy for Mr. Shears.

Lemon Creek, Slocan, B.C.,
June 17, 1946.

Office of the Custodian,
506 Royal Bank Bldg.,
Hastings & Granville Sts.,
Vancouver, B.C.

File No. 1626 Attention: Mr. W. J. Johnston.

Dear Sirs:

I am in receipt of you letter of May 17, 1946, stating that my property on the Lake Como Road in the Municipality of Coquitlam has been sold for $560.00. You also claim that this property has been based on valuation by qualified appraisers.

Please be advised that this property had an assessed value of $1960.00 according to my 1941 tax receipt, from the Municipality of Coquitlam. Using this figure as a basis, I am of the opinion that my property was sold at a very unreasonable price.

Prior to evacuation, I was offered $3000.00 for this property, but declined to sell in hopes of a better price. If this property could be sold for this amount, I would be willing to sell, as I have planned to return to Japan in the near future. This move has been my only solution, as I am now too old to start out anew, and also my daughter is at present hospitalized with rheumatic fever. My wife is not very well, suffering from high Blood pressure.

The chattels which were sold as shown on the attached statement, were sold at a fraction of their actual value. These consisted of the following: 100 ft. ¾" Wire Cable, 1 Plough, 2 Cultivators, 1 Harrow, 4 Potato Diggers, 5 Shovels, 7 Garden Hose, 4 Logging Chains, 1 Platform Scales, (240# capacity), other sundry farm tools, 2 beds, 1 double complete with springs and mattress, 1-¾ (4'0) with spring, 1 Wardrobe, 1 Gramaphone, 1 Kitchen set with 4 chairs, 6 Kitchen chairs, 1 Kitchen Stove, 1 Heater Stove, and sundry kitchen utensils.

Further in this connection, I am still in possession of the original title to this property. Please advise how this can be sold without the title deed, and also I was not advised prior to it's sale. Please advise if my property was sold through the Veterans Land Act.

In any case, I am thoroughly dis-satified with whole procedure, and the price at which my property was sold for, and would appreciate any further information which you make have relative to this transaction.

Yours truly,

"Choju Matsushita"
Choju MATSUSHITA #08285