The Palmerston-Waitapu Block.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1462, 23 September 1885, Page 3

The Palmerston-Waitapu Block.

■ "We regret to learn • that srvney operations on, the Palmerston-WaHapu :; Sniall : Farm Association's Block have been tern -: porarily suspended. From what we" can gatlier from one source and another, it would appear that the surveyor to wiiqm the work was entrusted, has not complied with the stipulations required by the Government, with the result that the Committee have not received instructions to make any progress payments on works alleged to be completed. For this refusal thq Committee have been blamed, although it must be apparent that by making unauthorised payments they would be acting illegally, and might compromise themselves themselves to a very •serious extent- The Committee are acting perfectly consistently, and with .commendable prudence, m refusing to be coerced into the adoption of any course not m conformity with the.. Government regulations. The surveyor who has the contract with the .Government, on behalf of the Association, should have simply carried out his instructions promptly and punctually, by forwarding proper particulars of werk done to the Survey Depart menc, and the Association would m due course have been authorised to make the requisite progress payments as stipulated. The men, we learn, have received no money since the start, arid have now refused to continue work any longer, until arrears of wages are settled. The susr pension of operations \y'ill proportionately r-etard th.c, progress of settlement on the Blqok, which is the feature most to be ragretted, though Committee are entirely^ blameless m the course they have pursued, which has been adopted after careful consideration of all the possible contingencies involved.