COASTAL CORRESPONDENCE

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 483, 24 July 1902, Page 3

COASTAL CORRESPONDENCE

LAND LEGISLATION

(To the Editor of tho Times.)

Sir,—Will you kindly allow mo spaeo in your valuable paper to discuss tho Native Councils and land legislation. The genct'al opinion appears to bo that the Native Councils will prove a failure (or at least not a brilliant success), and that wo shall be lighting this question a quarter of a century henco if wo persist in going on present lines. Now tho question is what to put in its place, and I will try and givo you my impreesions, gained on the Coast amongst the natives and Europeans who have had .dealings in native lands during tho last quarter of a century. That is instead of natives handing over their lands to ho administered by a mixed board they should ho handed over to tho Government, who should immediately have all so placed in their hands surveyed and roaded, and cut up into sections (and treated as Crown Lands) of suitable size for settlement, and that thoy should bo leased by public auc-

tion, in tho district where situated, to tho highest bidder, for a term of -12 years, with an advance of from one penny to threepence per acre, according to quality, every seven years, and at tho end of tho 42 years thoy should again be submitted to public auction, as before. Tho incoming tenant to pay Government valuation to outgoing tenant for permanent improvements, such as houses, barns, etc. Tho survey and voiding should he paid for by Government, who should doduct 20 per cent, from native owners till tho survey and road charges are paid oil'. When this is done tho Government should charge a permanent 71 percent, for administering tho lands, collecting tho rents from tenants, and paying over tho balance half-yearly to native owners. Natives could, while survoy is boing made, elect three of thoir chiefs to deiino areas and proportion of interest eacli native has in every block in their district, they giving a certificate to Government, bearing tho endorsement of native owner, and this decision to bo final, except whero any native refusing to agree to award, and giving immediate notice to assessors, it should be decided by a magistrate and tho three assessors, whoso decision shall bo binding. Any native owner not putting in his application within three months after notice in Gazette would be thrown ont. Titles of land already decided by Nativo Land Courts to remain as at present, but all leases of native lands at present held by Europeans at expiration of leases to revert to Government to bo dealt with samo as other lands. Sufficient reserves to be allotted to each hi\pu for nativo cultivation, etc. Stringent laws

would have to bo made against any bribery or corruption by either native owners or chiefs administering tho law. I might say I submitted a rough outline of the above to tho Hon. Nativo Minister six years ago, but ho said I "was ton years in advance of tho times. I submitted I was twenty years behiud tho times, as if this had beon done it would liavo saved hundreds of thousands of pounds in this district alone, to both Natives and Europeans, and saved a lot of bad feeling. Tho above is rather a long letter, but, even so, I have left out a lot of details, otc. I think, however, I have given tho gist of things. —I am, etc., A. B. Jackson.

A JIAO 111 CENTENARIAN. THE LATE KEWENETAMEKOTOEE (To the Editor of the Times.) Kir, —Time and space would fail me to write a regular biographical sketch of tho life and times of the late Maori centenarian ivoweno Tamekotoro, whoso body was brought to Waipiro to-day. llis ago at the titno of his death was greatly disputed, but close enquiry assures mo that he must have been at least a score and ten years abovo tho allotted span of life. This Ao-toa-roa Methuselah, tattooed and bowed down with age, looked a perfect specimen of a Maori warrior in the brave days of old. Ho was not of the aristocratic order, which greatly militatod against his chance of ever rising to prominency, for about a century ago class prejudices were rampant amongst the Maoris, thus he was compelled to contend against tho trammels of his birth. When a young man he was taught tho use of tho mere and the taiaha (tho juvenile school of arms). Dextority and agility in a naturally strong physique made Keweno formidable in after years. Those wore days

when internecine wars were of frequent occurrence, and days too, when tho nowly.arrived colonists had to light for their existence in the land of their adoption. In these, whether fighting for or against the colonists, Keweno's name stood high on tho roll of honor. His nbsoluto fearlessness and indomitable pluck often distinguished him and made him the theme of conversation and the recipient of many admiring glances. To relate his mauy thrilling experiences and hair-breadth escapes would require the writing of a book. Wo must therefore confine ourselves to a circumstance which cost Keweno an eye. It was at tho Gate pah in tho year—(The King movement which had for its primary object tho expulsion of all foreigners—a voritablo Uoxcrism —was then at its zenith. Kewenc had joined it not on principle, but

simply to gratify his warlike propensity). The all victorious British troops were sweeping everything before them. “ It was,’’ to use Kewcue's own word, “ ft dazzling sceno and a veritablo hell.” Abovo the din and uproar of the battle

kewene's voice could be heard cheering his comrades on. During the melee he saw a gun levelled at his forehead point blank, and simultaneous a Hash. It was all too sudden, and though it missed his forehead it struck him in the eye. The perpetrator of the deed, however, did not live long to boast. Severing the muchlacerated organ with his own hand, kewene lifted his gun to the remaining eve and Sired. He wounded his man in the abdomen, then with his mere in hand he dashed upon him (amongst the troops) and cleft bis skull in twain. Seeing the day lost he called together the remaining toas, then together they made a bold dash for safety towards the swamp ; but alas I very few escaped to tell the talc, and amongst that notable few was our late friend Kewene. His adventurous spirit led Kewene to adopt a somewhat nomadic life. When at the Bay of Islands his gallantry brought him into favor with a lady of some rank, whom ho afterward took to wife, and by whom he had an only daughter, the present Mrs Kim, of the Groat Barrier, who took a prominent pnit in the rescue of the crew and passengers of the ill-fated s.b. Wairarapa. Later ho W&8 hs&td of the UtßVfW# C^uatrj’i

Then came a time when wars ceased, and the happy turbulent days are no more. Kewene went South and settled at Kuiapoi, and only the other day, after an absence of many years, increasing feebleness and decrepitude compelled him to sigh for the resting place of his ancestors. He died on the way- His body was taken home and buried in the ancestral burial ground at Waipiro. The tribe assembled at the graveside to do honor to one v/ho nud been a toa of the ancient type (and perhaps tho last claimant to that dignity-), all having loft Ao-tca-roa, the happy fighting ground, for To Iteinga, the spirit land oi their ancestors.—l am, etc., Tit Iriranoi.