He found that the Government was not to blame for the original occupation and that the decision to refrain from eviction had been reasonable in the circumstances. He nevertheless found that officials were unable to make a decision to bring the situation under control, that Ministers were not brought into consultation at an early enough stage and that it took too long for an agreement to be reached on the decision to be taken. Clothier was therefore able to attribute part of the losses incurred by the farmers to maladministration and considered it appropriate for the departments concerned to offer ex gratia compensation.
The investigator determined that government responsibility for the initial occupation was not the main issue, but rather the decision to avoid eviction was justified in the circumstances. However, he found that officials were unable to take decisive measures, ministers were not consulted early enough, and it took too long to reach an agreement on the course of action, leading him to conclude that part of the losses could be attributed to poor administration.