MOKAU CLAIMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1575, 19 October 1912, Page 9

MOKAU CLAIMS.

TI'E PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY. MR. JONES'S EVIDENCE CONCLUQEO HIS AGREKMK.NT WITH THJO GOVKIiNJIKNT. Mr. Joshua Jones's Claims Committee, constituted of members of both Houses of Parliament, met again yesterday morning. Mr. Jones continued to give evidcnco under examination by Mr. C. E. Statlnim. He .said that when Sir John Finillay first tuld Mr. Treadwi'll (Jones's solicitor) in 191)8 that no inquiry would bo granted, nothing was said of the opinion of fho Crown Solicitor that no inquiry could be held. Home mention of this was made on a later occasion, lie did not know anything about Hie Ordcr-in-Coun-cil until March -3, 3011, while Lewis had completed his purchase on March '2'i and 21. flight days alter the completion of the transaction notice of the order was published in tlio Gazette. Mr. Statlnim: Might thai: order not havo been in the public interest? Mr. Jones: I fail to see it. It would liavo been ten times more in the public interest for the Government to have bought the land as 1 desired. ' In answer to further questions Mr. Jones said 1 lint he wanted his right of action restored to him by a special Act. The Judge of the English Court had decided that he had no jurisdiction to try the action, and the Xew Zealand Courts had also decided that the action could not. go to trial in New Zealand. This put hiiu under nn injustice. Mr. Statham: AVol'tld that right bo any good lo you, Mr..Jones? Ilnve you any means to' prosecute your action?

Mr. Jones: I'll find means if I get my right to go on. Mr. Statlnim: Has not the position changed so much that

Mr. Jones: But that's no fault of mine. Duo warning was given in writing to all and sundry against dealing in this property. He added that the Government could take over the property and arrange with the present owners, and then compensate him in land or minerals as was agreed upon in 1910. v Mr. St allium: Tho Government could not get it for ,615,11(10 now?

Mr. Jones hesitated about replying to this question, because in order to do so lie would have to use information given him in confidence. Finally, he said ho would not reply. To Mr. Anstey: The Ordcr-in-Council certainly prejudiced such further right, of action as he had in that it entrenched Lewis in his position. To tho Chairman: He told Sir Joseph Wuril that tho land could be bought for *£15,000 on April 22, 1910. At that interview Sir Joseph Ward promised on behalf of the Government to buy the land, and subsequently Sir James Carroll paid a deposit on this purchase, but for some reason ho relinquished it. Now, Sir James Carroll said lie had merely lent tho money, on it. He believed that Mr. Dalziell first made the application to the committee for the Ordcr-in-Council, and Mr. Skerrctt appeared lo consent on behalf of the .Natives.

i Mr. Bell interpolated hero that Mr. Skerrett was instructed by tho Government lo act for some of the Natives, and Mr. H. T). Bell was acting for .others. Mr. 11. 1). Bell was not consulted in tho matter of the Order-in-Council. The first application for the Ordcr-in-Council had come from Mr. Dalziell.

Mr. Jones stated further that the Government had no right to set up tho Stout-Palmer Commission. Tho Government might have, tho right to set up a commission at his request, but under no other circumstances, for he was tho only person interested.

To Mr. Anstey: Tho terms of tho compromise that Sir Joseph Ward agreed to with him were that tho Government would buy the land from the Natives, and that he (Jones) would then cancel all the claims he had to the leases, on the under-, standing that Sir Joseph Ward would give him new leases, extcmlod leases at u peppercorn rental from tho Crown, ineluding minerals, and also a portion of tho surface land in fee for his family to live on.' The amount rif land was not exactly agreed upon'. Ho (Jonesl represented lo Sir Joseph Ward that tho Government would then hnvo 16,000 acres oil which lo put tenants of their own. fir Joseph Ward said ho could not give tho fee simple to minerals, because (here was a feeling in tho country against giving away minerals. At tho time Sir Joseph Ward mado this agreement, Sir James Carroll was at Gisborne, but when ho came down he agreed to the terms made by Sir Joseph Ward. .This concluded the hearing of Mr. Jones's evidence, and tho committee adjourned, after deliberation as to what witnesses should be called, until 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday.