The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 Weekly. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 15. 1908.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3758, 15 April 1908, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 Weekly. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 15. 1908.

The failure of the Government to fulfil the pledges which were made to promote settlement of the back blocks is injurious to the public character of the country, and inflicts injustice upon those who have taken up country on the supposition that these promises would be fulfilled. The consequence has been, in many cases, that the settlers who have taken up the lands would abandon their holdings were it not that they have invested capital, in the majority of cases not too plentiful, in the improvement of their land. It is not creditable or of advantage to the country that men should be enticed on to the land by what have proved to be false pretences, and only retained there because, on the strength of these pretences, they have sunk their capital in land which I is wanting in roads and bridges to give access to the outer world, which ■ were promised to them within a given time. The Oparau branch «f the Farmers' Union have submitted a resolution to be dealt with at the forthcoming Provincial Conference, the reasonableness of which cannot fail to be recognised. It points out that, after repeated efforts, it appears to be hopeless to induce the Government to fulfil its engagements with regard to the construction of roads and bridges to give access to ' land which has been taken up on the ■ understanding that these would be made. The branch is of opinion that the Government should compensate holders of land who have suffered \ from breach of faith in this matter. j It may be urged that circumstances have prevented the fulfilment of these promises. If this be so, it is no fault of the deceived settlers, but of those I who deceived them. If the land had been disposed of or leased by a private individual or public company on certain conditions, they would be liable to either fulfil these conditions or compensate for loss entailed by the people to whom they disposed of the land. Why should the State be exempt? We do not believe for one moment that it is; but the Government screens itself behind the fact that its victims cannot afford the expense of taking action in the Supreme Court and to suffer in addition all the anxieties and uncertainties of litigation. It is the duty of Parliament to see that these people are equitably dealt with, and equity implies that they should be compensated for nonfulfilment of conditions. If those upon whom devolve the administration of the affairs of State make a blunder, individuals must not suffer in consequence.