EXTRAORDINARY POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1298, 29 November 1911, Page 7

EXTRAORDINARY POSITION.

» THE MOKAU DEAL. A NEW PHASE. STATEMENT BY MR. OKEY. (B; Teiesraph.—Snecial Correspondent.! New Plymouth, November 28. Speaking at Fitzroy to-night, Mr. Okey ventilated n phase of the ilokau transaction wiiich hus not yet received attention, owing to the Native AUuirs Committee's report having only just come to hand. it'iis not generally known, he eaid, that the block purchased by Mr. Horrman Lewis, by virtue of an Order-in-Council, includes in its freehold title, under the Land Transfer Act, areas amounting to over 5000 acres of what recently wero Crown lands. Many years ago certain surveys were made on tho Mokau-Mohaka-tino Block, and, as their cost was not forthcoming, liens wero obtained by the Commissioner of Crown Lands under instructions from tho Surveyor-General, and charging orders were granted by tho Native Land Court to cover surveys amounting to .£llO2, together with interest ..(■£367). Sections totalling 5021 acres were set apart as security, and marked Crown lands on tho official plan, only requiring tho official proclamation to become available for settlement. Yet, today,, they nro included in tho freehold title held by Mr. M'Nab's company, to whom they have been sold by the Government privately, and jvithont affording to settlers any opportunity of competing, itr. Skinner, of tho Lands Department, tbtimatod the value of the whole block, including these 5021 acres, at 18s. I)d. per acre, or, deducting Bs. for survey, and loading, at 10s. 9d., which makes 5021 acrcs, worth i£2G9B. Mr. Okey, however, believed that these sections were worth at least 305., or J.'7531, and it was more than probablo that they would have realised,' on tho open market, quite £2 or •£10,012. Yet tho Government sold them for .£1169 ou August 16, or ss. lOd. per.; acre. When Parliament rose these lands were still the property of the Crown but, on November 20, eight days ago, tho liens on tho title wero cancellcd, and they became the freehold of Mr. M'Nab's company. Continuing, Mr. Okey said that an attempt would doubtless bo made to show that these lands were subject to Mr. Jones's lease, and, therefore, were not available for settlement, but the real position was that the Crown had tho freehold, as shown by the official plan, and could, at any time, havo made the land available for public disposal. Instead of that tho Government has sold outright to private people without public competition at ss. lOd. per acre lands which would have been readily purchased by the people of New Zealand'at not less than 80s. per acre.