North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1908. HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

North Otago Times, 23 September 1908, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1908. HOW DID IT HAPPEN?

When tlio deputation from tlio Stomird settlers visited Wellington last wcok to intofvicw the Minister for Lauds on tlio subject of the neglect of the Lands Department: to fulfil their obligations in respect to tlio completion of the race running through the settlement they were met with the assurance on the part of tlio Minister that he know nothing about .tlio subject that had been agitating the settlers for months past. The local newspapers and tlio settlers havo inado enough noise to penotra'to from Cape Campbell to the l'luff, and they havo had the occasional assistance in banging their drums of the Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Sir W. J. Steward, and J, A. Maepherson, all M.r.'s; and yot despite all this) the Minister to whom it was necessary the resolutions of the various public meetings should be sent or who should have; been inado acquainted with.the steps that were, being taken! by ' the settlers, knew nothing about them. Everyone''on the settlement had made up their minds that tic Minister was fighting against them, and they were expending an .unnecessary amount of ammunition . to bring down ft Minister who, like Colonel Smith's coon, would have' come down rather than bo fired at. Where does the blamo for this, rest J. Wo assume that the Minister is notofliotcd with aphasia, a'disease that deletes for the time being events from the tablets of the memory of sufferers.' If ho is, then wb can understand the statement he mado to Messrs .Williams and Smith that that was the first he had heard of the matter. One would assume that it was. the duty of the Land Board to acqluaint tlio Minister with the complaint of ; settlors. But apparently thoy > have not, done n 0 - Then the settlers had, xhieo mombors of tho' Lower Houso 011 tlio mission of having tlifii wiong"edrewl, and it seems strange that neither of thoso three gentlemen dropped a hint, to the Miihstei that a wrong ne»du;l richting. ■ Certainly it' w.outMde tho duty of Sin W. J.'Steroid and Mi J. A. Maepherson to interfere with what was occurring in . . the . Bon. ,1., Xt,.

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forgiyethiin'>hK\ i -mahyvtre3passer we-have and,'with i the'erow^ iuto.a compact, heap we 'love,liiin all. the more.,' The whole affair ; might s bc likened to' a war between Germany' .and ■ Franco, of ', which the surrounding nations knew ; nothing. ) The local nowspapers the settlers passed;:-'resolutions- with n smack of niti'o-elycerlnO obmit them ; the Land 4 Board was 'appoaled thomembors of, Parliament woro urgotl to galvaniso the 'Minister for Lands 'iritxi' action. 5 And yot'tho'Minlstfir fox*' Lands says. .ho : camo through the ■ordoal without any knowledge of the event. With Doninifj Sampson wo might be' permitted to say "rW de'egepus•!"■;.■ - - v , ■ ''■