HUGE „DEAL" IF TRUE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 956, 25 October 1910, Page 5

HUGE „DEAL" IF TRUE.

RUA'S BUYING AND SELLING. HON. A. NGATA DENIES REPORT. ■ (By Tolofirapn.-Special Correspondent,) Auckland, October 24. During the last week .Auckland, un< <. knowji to itself, was entertaining a ro. markable quartot from tho Urcwera— Rua's son and wife, and Rua&. secretary. [. and wife. Their demeanour. was mark- '; cd by aboriginal shyness, and a ' pronounced disliko of being 'Tooted at." Thoy kept very much' in the back- ' ground, and quietly toft tho city on Saturday without calling on the Mayor, or '-- ' leaving their cards at Government : House,, but their visit must have ro6ulted in substantial additions to tho V; takings of somo Auckland business house. ' .... '•■ The buying commissions were from ', ■:■ Rua senior, the Urowcra prophet who, * according to reports in the district; has , ; " received for his recent land 6alo a'far' ; greater sum of money'than is generally' believed. It is even said that the Gdv-' ornmont, which purchased'about; 90,000' to 100,000 acres, paid. an average of some- . thing like 12s. Gd. ah acre, and' that no . less than ,£69,000 was paid out .by the. '.'/■■ Government, agent in a tent at Taneotan. Eua has given orders for tho building of about a dozen houses at his settle: mont at Kutarore, on the Waimana River, and orders for doors, windows,," : ,-' roofing iron,, and various .classes-of tnn- • '■ > ber; have come to Auckland, besides nu- : inerous other items from a necdlo'.to,an ' • anchor. In fact, Rua's claims on the > freight .space of the. Bay of .' Plenty ■ 6teamer are said to have caused' a mild congestion.' Drapery, dress materials,! ..'. silks, underclothing, sewing ' machines, •'. bicycles (including some ladies', machines), and farm implements are only some'of tho goods that,have been puiv.- ■• ohased on Rua's behalf in Auckland dur- .. ing the last week. ;Hero is a-sample of Rua's, buying ..orders as per ;;telfigram:— ~ . "One , perambulaiori one cradle, > tw<i ploughs,- maahihe.ncedks,.'.and. a, barrel- ' of Stockholm tar" . ;, ' . i;. Kua's professed tnuncipie, in .sellina a ,part of' his followers limds, was to ;. raise capital to fafin-, and .improve' th« '. ■; rest of their land. It is. known that-ha'-,-has ] bought heavily in stock,'having ■ lately purchased at least 200 head of - :; cattle, as well as carts, horses, imple-. :V. ments,'etc.. He- is said-.to cbhtempfats-'.' the erection of a big. store in the llu'tarore sottletnent, whereat MEiori. niwds willbe supplied, and the community will bo; . directed on; something •-' like . : Soiialistm ■ : ■' lines; No Maori may sell the' land which Ruaallots him, except to another ■ Maori.:,;';-" - : ■•■■■.'•.'. ",.,'-■ '..'•..•,-,■.■.',■•■; Rumour, in the district runs into big .; i figures as to tho area and : value'of tha lands owned by Rua.aud his - followersi - '•'.; It is oven said that •"• ho has ten other - : blocks for .sale, similar to that lately ' ■ purchased iby the Government. Tha amount of Rua's own share of the pro- . eeeds is not stated, but it is said that be_ deducts twenty per cent, from every . other Maori's share for: &«' benefit of -'.' the central treasury. -Three weeks ago, • - ■ after the. paying - out, Maoris were confronting the. local stores . with'.. three- ■'■ figure cheqiies. One man bought'a'' one and eightpenny article,: and presented X ■ in payment a cheque for £210. The-'' bank branches also had a fairly sultry time. One of the sprightlfest of the 1 ladies "■--■"■. carries about with "beneath : her '■ ' shawl, a largo ca.sh-ios, which, as might r . '. bo erpeoted, plays a prominent.; part ,in : tho proceedings.. '.When EnaV ■ aiidf hia ■■■'■■ cavalcade and cash-box come to'"-J 'tiwn '- the township thus honinred knows that' business is going, to happen, and it does., 1 1 [Interviewed on the subject, the Hon. v '■, ' A/Ngata. said. that, there .was, no truth" in the , statement' that such large pur- '<■; ichases; of TJrewera lands had been made'-,- : by tno Government During tho past■'•: ''3; month 6r''two'tho! total area of Urowera lands purchased by the Government wasi 15,000 to 18,000 acres, and' the total ! purchase money would amount to about ■ ; , Mr. Ngata went ou to Bay that'-'; balance' of TJrewera; - lands., at present i J under offer was about : '3o,ooO' acres; 'A» ,: . la,\raatter.. of. fact* no TJrewera lands- had* > bought at all during past-two -•"-.'' three weeks, for .the reason.that th« "-'' land .pmchaso' officer had been'in-Wei- L lington.]:':- ":-■:'-';•;-',': ■■'■;'*•:....■.:■:.:■;