In the late 1800s in the American Wild West, the authorities used to open new territories by organising a "land rush", when thousands of men on horseback, in wagons or stagecoach would race to claim plots of land. All legal, of course.

In 20thcentury Malta, the "land rush" in Armier was not authorised by the government, nor was it a legal exercise. The Maltese "land rush" resulted in a great land grab which usurped public land for the benefit of those few who preferred to "steal" rather than buy.

It is traditional Maltese political chicanery for whichever party is in government to stand by, wring hands and do nothing to stop such illegality so as not to alienate voters, for every vote counts in a virtually evenly divided electorate.

Four years ago I visited "a friend-of-a-friend" in Armier who spends his summers there, and he told me how he came to build his illegal abode. It seems he went there to do some fishing when he noticed a piece of land between two of the illegal properties. He simply placed four large building bricks in a rectangular lay-out, tied cord around them and put his name on the stones. Shortly after, he built his one-bed holiday home, with bedroom, dining room, kitchen and toilet, and he has since enjoyed his summers in Armier.

Now as Joe Morana stated in his letter (June 24), a number of attempts have been made to enforce the law and remove these illegal structures, with no success.

While I do not condone those who did a Wild West land rush, I strongly believe they are now entitled to live there in peace. Why? Because as the government opted to give these illegal dwellings water and electricity, it has indirectly sanctioned their staying there. However, in so doing, the government (of whichever party) has itself broken the law.

There has been talk of the government paying the illegal "tenants" to vacate their premises so that they can be demolished. If this is true, then it's more political insanity. What the authorities should do is to offer the "land" free on the proviso that the ramshackle premises are demolished and replaced - at the owners' expense - by proper buildings according to a government structural plan. In that way, Armier would have its own, properly designed, "summer retreat" village.

And those people who do not want to conform should be evicted through the courts, and the land offered by auction.