MAORIS FELLED KAURIS TO STIR UP ACTION

Chronicle (Levin), 20 May 1947, Page 2

MAORIS FELLED KAURIS TO STIR UP ACTION

By Telearanh — Press Associatiov WHANGAREI, May 19. Several individual injunctions have been served to prevent a group of Maoris cntting kauri timber in the Puketi State forest. The Maoris have' been warned that if the injunctions which were issued by the Supreme Court, Auckland, are not. obeyed, fur ther action may be taken by the police. The cutting of the kauris . was designed as a protest against the delay in the settlemont of claims to ownership of a largie part of the forest. They are now forbidden to enter the forest. A week ago the Maoris gave an assurance that they would take no action for four or five days so as to give the Government time to consider the question. but ^on Wednesday a large kauri was felled and a gang of Maoris said their nunibers would be doubled today (Monday). Forest rangers have patrolled the roads in the vicinity to ensure that none of the timber is taken and there is no evidence that any iogs have beenremoved. Alniost 90 years ago the Crown bought over 7000 acres of the Takapau block on which the forest is situated j at Sd an acre which was paid in recent years. The Maoris in the district have j strongly contested the validity of the i transaetion. The forest is betweeu Kaeo and Okaihau. Descendants of I the original tribal owners presented a Ipetition to Parliament in 19-11 and prior to that in 1939 a claim for compensa tion was heard by the Nativc Land Court. The Prime Minister promised an investigation of the claims wlien he visited Kaikohe in March c