§ Mr. WASONasked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the Admiralty is misinformed when it asserts that it was through the Ritchie's declining to submit an application for temporary disturbance that delay has arisen in their case, and that Messrs. Ritchie were evicted against their will and that, although full compensation was promised, not ld. has been paid, and that the Losses Commission repudiate all responsibility, he will see that action is taken to settle the matter?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI am afraid that I cannot accept the statement in the question as being quite accurate. Messrs. Ritchie, since May last, have declined to submit a claim for temporary disturbance, and as a last resort the Admiralty have been obliged to put their claim to be paid outright before the Losses Commission, together with the recommendations of the Department that a payment should be made representing temporary disturbance. The Admiralty have never been in a position to promise to buy the entire interests in view of the uncertainty of the policy in regard to the future of the station. The Losses Commission early this year stated that a claim for the purchase of the entire interests did not fall within their jurisdiction, but no doubt they will at the hearing of the case decide what payments, if any, can be made in the circumstances.