THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Ressurexi. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3,1878.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3058, 3 December 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O' CLOCK P.M. Ressurexi. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3,1878.

The Trustees of the Church Mission property at Farawai have made a demand upon the Government for £5000 as compensation for carrying the water race through their land. As far as we can learn or can form an estimate we should say this is a parallel claim to that made by the old chief Eewai some years ago, when he asked folTa thousamt million pounds for permission to make a cutting through the/hill which bears his name. This attempt at extortion, we trust, will be resisted to the utmost, for it must strike every one as enormous.' Is there any one who would give £5000 for the. whole block comprised in the Church Mission property ? The interest, the public have in matters of this kind is the point we wish to refer to. ]tfo sooner has a public work been decided, upon than eyery person who has land, a portion of which is required for the public service, conies forward with an absurd claim for compensation.. If a few acres be taken, worth about a hundred pounds, a claim is preferred for some thousands. The Government are assailed with difficulties at all hands, important public works are delayed, and the public purse is drawn upon to pay what simply amounts to extortionate rates. The public should set their faces against this kind of thing, and help to put it down. No one would begrudge fair compensation for damage done or depreciation, but Governments as well as individuals ought to resist any demand that is unreasonable, and this claim of the Church Mission Trustees we look upon as monstrous.