NATIVE RESERVES.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume V, Issue 436, 15 November 1876, Page 3

NATIVE RESERVES.

TO THB EDITOB.

r. Sib, — Shortly before Parliament was pro» rogued, Sir Ot. Grey called attention to the fact; that lands set apart as native reserves in tbe Tauranga District wanted protecting from the vultures of the Jsati«re Office. '] he Premier, assuming the rfile of injured innocence, replied, "That tbe lands referred to would not be purchased by officers of ttao Native Department." Sir Gr. Grey might have asked for a return of all lands in this district reserved for the natives, showing the acreage first granted, and the quantity since sold by the native?, the names of the purchasers, when bought, price paid, and present value. The members and the pnblio would then have been placed in a position to form a just opinion of the very large degree of Christian fortitude and self.sacrifice that is required by the officers of this "Temple of Purify"— the Native Office. The name *• Tannings Lunds" extends over a large area <of country; one of.tha beet blocks of which weh known as the Katikati purchase. In this block about 6437 aores were reserved i for the native owners 5 this reserve has now bi"en reduced by sale to 763 acres. Nearly the whole of the 5674 acres have been pur* chased by officers coi neoied with the Native Department nt the nominal price of about 3s per acre ; 2311 a ore a was thus acquired by ne individual officer. For the remainder (the portion these iaimnciilate public servants did not consider worth having), private pur« ©'lasers we>e found who gave a very much batter price for the land than these underpaid and hard-worked philnntlirop's's could be erpeoted to give ; one lot of 500 acres being 6 Id to a private p .rohantr at 25a per acre. The " ' at.ivn difficulty" cropp d up from time to time in >h> Ka'ikati diet riot, but it was rather retrmrkiible that as booh as ever the officials had acquired 1 he reserves for them* selves at a nominal orice, the district became perfectly quiet, and was ohoden by the v*overn» merit and those interested as one of the beet blopka for s special settlement ! But, Sir, there are dark pages in the history of the purchape'of these reserves, where the title of widows nnH orphans have been ignored because they refused to sell, and certificates of title granted to so'called uncles or other relatives, whot>& only claim to the land was acquired by a willingness to sell, and become a willing tool in the hands of those who sit in high placen, whose chief duty seems to be to oppresß the widow and rob 'he fatherless children, persecuting unto cWth those who oppose them. This, or something very similar, is the account that would have to be rendered of nearly every native reßerve in tbe Tsurangft district.— l am, &o. f Übjtoxa. Taur&nga, Nov. 9, 1876,