THE MOKAU INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1243, 27 September 1911, Page 8

THE MOKAU INQUIRY.

MR. JOSHUA JONES'S STATEMENT. ITS SCOPE DISCUSSED. The Xative Affairs Committee continued the Mokau iuquiry yesterday, Mr. W. T. Jennings presiding. Other members present wore Sir Ja«. Carroll, the Hon. A. T. Xgata, Dr. To Itangihiroa, and Messrs. W. D. S. Jlacdonahl, H. J. Greenslade, I!. 11. lihodos. W. H. Herries and T. l'arata. Mr. W. F. Mns.'ey was iircKMil. Addressing Mr. Joshua Jones, who had attended to make a statement, the chairman remarked that the committee had considered a letter sent in by Mr. Jones

and had decided that his statement must Ik confined to matters that had cropped up in this imjuiry and appertaining to the paper before the committee. If Mr. Jo-iic- had any other ideas tlio committee suggested that- he should petition Parliament. The committee had no means of dealing with the matter raised m the letter. Mr. .Tones submitted that the inquiry had been based in great part upon the report of the Stout-Palmer Commission. Tho chairman: No, sir, that has Olllv conio in incidentally, and has been ruled out as having no bearing on ,tlns question—tho subject matter ot the inquiry. ' Mr. Jones: Well, sir, you have placed me in a difficulty. I am not prepared to finish to-day in any cafe. I had prepared a short synopsis—respectfully drawn—ot this case,"which, as I submit, pertains to this inquiry. The statement, Mr. Jones continued, traversed the casq from 1876 up to the- time of the decision ot the Court here on July 20, 1908, nnoV tho suggestion of the Prime Minister that he could not do it'otherwise, he would assurance that he would see anything carried out that was recommended by the committee. He was determined to mako his position known in some way, and, 1 he could not do it, otherwise, lie would do it through the press. He proposed to read this statement and then 10 ask tor a- day's grace, on the ground of ;llliealth, before dealing with the period from tho time of the report by the Judges in 1908 up to tho present. The chairman said he was merely the mouthpiece of the committee, ino request put forward by Mr. Jones had been discussed by tho committee on. three diifcrent occasions, and on each it had decided unanimously that ho must confine himself absolutely to the paper which was the subject of the inquiryMr. Jones: They have not heard the application I now make; neither have you had time to consider it, sir. Mr. Ngata said Mr. Jcnes must understand that the inquiry was not so much into his prievances as info (he statement by Mr. Ma«sey and the answer to it by the Native Minister. . Mr. Jones stated that, during the hearing of a petition presented by himself last vear, status was given to the Natives 'and to Herrman Lewis; they were allowed counsel on a matter foreign to Ins petition altogether. The chairman said they could not enter into the proceedings of last year. If Mr. Jones thought that he had not got full justice from the Committee then he (the chairman) suggested that he should petition Parliament again. ' Mr. .Tone?: "I suggest that that only ; keups (he ball rolling for everlasting. That committee treated me very badly, shamefully—although they reported in my The chairman put it to Mr. Jonps that Jiis story in connection with tho Mokau Block was as well known as the story of Bobiason Crusoe. It had been published time and oeain—in London "Truth, as well as in New Zealand papers._ Mr. Jones said ho did not think there w<>ro two men on the Committee who knew the ins and outs of the matter. He- contended that the Stout-Palmer report had formed the groundwork of the proceedings. • ■ The chairman answered that lie thought that Mr. Jones might claim some consideration on that point, but it was unnecessary to go into the whole history of Mr. Herries said lie did not think the Committee should go into anything before tho date of the purchase by Herrman J Mr.Jones stated that Sir James Carroll had laid verv great stress on the report of the Stout-Palmer Commission, and hail said that it completely damned his (Mr. Jones's) leases and title. Mr. Herries remarked that the whole of the legal evidence before the committee was against the view of 'tho Stout-Palmer Commission. • At this stage it was agreed -that the committee should adjourn, in order that Mr. Jones might recast his statement. The chairman referred to a question (number 73) in the official report of the inquiry, when Mr. Jones was being examined by Mr. Massey. It runs:— • " 'By whom was the valuation to bo made?'—'That was left out. I suppose it would follow that the Crown would have an assessor, and I an assessor—something of that sort—it did not go so far. "My solicitor and Mr. Kennedy Macdonald and I went to ?ec Mr. M'Nab, Mr. Jennings was to have gone with us, but he made himself scarce. He had gone to Palinerston or something like that.'" Mr. Jones: "That, is' so."

Mr. Jennings stated that on consulting his memorandum book for 1908 ho had discovered that he attended tho meeting of tho Waitara Harbour Board on the day mentioned (March 31). On the day following he was at Stratford. There was evidently a mistake somewhere. Mr. Jones said that Mr. Jennings was in Wellington on March 27.

.Mr. Jennings: Toti can't say that I was in Wellington on March 31. Otherwise I shall havo to take other steps. After some, further talk it was agreed that tho only matter at issue was that of the date. Mr. Jennings stated that he had been willing to go with Sir Jas. Carroll and Mr. Jones's solicitor, but not with Mr. Kennedy Macdouald, because tho latter, in the Upper House, had opposed his (Mr. .lennings's) Bill for the preservation of the Mokau River scenery. The committee adjourned uutil 10.30 a.m. on Thursday.