Special Settlement Associations.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 116, 22 April 1885, Page 3

Special Settlement Associations.

(Waipawa Mail.) The Examiner is mistaken m saying that the Waipawa and Danevirke Small Farm- Association made simultaneous applications for the same block of land. The Waipawa Association received thenacceptances from Wellington it is true, but they were from the Minister of Lands himself, and consequently that gentle man showed a Tery curious method of doing business whan-' he eamly promised the Association at Danevirke a portion of the very same land he had just allotted to Waipawa. Further than this Mr Ballance came from Danevirke to Waipawa, and met a deputation of their association, and never hinted at there being any difficulty m tho laud being obtained. The question was distinctly put to the Minister, "If wo only require 3000 acres, shall we be allowod to take up that quantity ?" And the reply was •"• yes, only you must mike a fresh application and yours will still take procent of all. others." Tha ,new application was never made to have the acreage reduceu, bnt the money was paid m full on the whole 5000 acres, and the Association now hold what they consider to be a fairly legal title of the land. Is it possible'' that Mr Ballop.pe could have come straight down from Danevirke, after allocating the land to the Association of that place, and then encourage the Waipawa Association m their scheme, knowing that they had applied for and were talking- about the game land that had just been given away ? However, fortunately th« local body hold something more tangible than the mere remembftrance of words. They have written communications making an offer which was duly accepted, the -purchasers paying a deposit as -required. If Government can upset an arrangement of this sort, they will be able to d.o anything. We can fully sympathise with the members of the Danevirk Association, because they have evidently been led to believe that a grant of land is to be made them that, as a matter of fact, noyer can bo ; consequently, they must suffer disappointment. But it is quite Wrong to allude to " justice," as our contemporary does, for both parties have been treated with anything but that. The Waipawa Association will have justice uo doubt, but only because they are m a position to enforce it. Were it not so, it is very plain that they would lose some of their land and tho whole Association would he entirely broken up. But the Danevirke Association have been unjustly treated because they trusted to the flimsy Ministerial promises that Mr Ballance ueems to have Jr.ade them. We fail to see where one atom of busmens tact or justice has been used m the whole transaction, and cannot complimeut the the hon. Minister of Lands on the manner m which he has administered his very important functions m this little episode at auy rate.