ERROR RG P4 10.8.1995 A story in Tuesday's paper incorrectly stated that Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons said Maritime Museum director Dr. Edward Harris was offered an eight-year lease at the parsonage. The claim was made by Dr. Harris.

The director of the Maritime Museum recently has received an eviction notice from the home he claims to have spent close to $1 million restoring.

"A writ has been issued to take proceedings against me to repossess the parsonage,'' Dr. Edward Harris told The Royal Gazette.

He said when he first began restoring the 168-year-old Parsonage, 13 years ago, it was "full of chickens''.

"It's very dismaying that they would be taking such action considering the extraordinary job done on the Parsonage,'' Dr. Harris added.

The building was originally built for the Dockyard parson and is now owned by the West End Development Corporation.

Lawyer Mr. Trevor Moniz, who sits on the Maritime Museum Board of Trustees, said: "The whole argument is whether or not it should be subleased.'' A long-term lease was originally offered to the Maritime Museum, Mr. Moniz said.

But it was declined because it did not allow them to "sublet it to an individual who would invest in proper renovations in return for the appropriate sub lease''.

Government also refused to allow Wedco to sublet the building.

But yesterday Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons said Dr.

Harris had also not responded to an offer of an eight-year lease.

"He hasn't replied in any meaningful way,'' said Mr. Gibbons. "He has 14 days in which to reply.'' But he declined to reveal what would happen at the end of that time.

Mr. Gibbons said if Dr. Harris accepted the eight-year lease he would be compensated with a "rent free period equal to the capital value and what improvements had been made''.

"We all stand ready to resolve this issue amicably,'' he added. "It is all a matter of public record. Dr. Harris has had a lot of Press. We would prefer to sit down and talk about it.

"But if we've got to bring it to a head, so be it.'' Dr. Edward Harris