NATIVE TRUST LANDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1495, 1 July 1905, Page 3

NATIVE TRUST LANDS.

(Per Press Association.) I Auckland, last night. I The Commissioners appointed to in- | quire into the administration of native | lands held in trust for educational par- I poses resumed its takiDg of eyideace t at I Auckland. A sitting this morning was | held to give Anglicans an opportunity of I replying to the scheme submitted by the 1 natives for dealing with certain Waikato trusts. It is proposed by the Maoris that awing to the failure of the Church Missionary Society to carry out the purposes for which she reserves, known 03 Kohanga, Hopuhopu, Hopepe Punui, and Otawhao, were given, (1) that Pcrliament be asked 1 to vest the land in trustees for the purpose j of enabling the original intention of tho I donors to be carried out, (2) that combined I technical and agricultural echools be os- I tablished at Kohanga, Hopuhopu, and | Punui, or Te Awamutu, (3) that in order to provide necessary funds for the support and establishment of three schools, public subscriptions, both from Maoris and Europeans be collected, and Parliament be asked to grant a £ for £ subsidy. Two very wealthy gentlemen, who do not wish their names made pnblio at presont, were willing to subscribe largely both to the establishment and endowment of these

schools, aod may contribute between them half the amount of the subreption required, (4) it is expected after the first few yearo that the schools und : ; proper management will become almo3t Beltsupporting. Bishop Neligan said thi3 document afforded him his first intimation that tba natives had any scheme for dealing with the land. He had learned from the Commission that the Waikato natives petitioned the owner respecting reserves as long ago as 1898, so that the Crown bad allowed seven years to elapse before enquiring into the alleged breach of trust. Luring the two years since he came to the diocese the natives had made no representations to his board on the matter. He suggested the Commissioners should acquire °into the causes for (1) the silence of tbe Crown for seven -years, (2) the silence of tbe natives for two years, (3) the voice of the Crown now, and (4) the voice of the natives now. He denied the board had failed to carry out the purposes for which tbe reserves were given, and asserted that the original intention of tbe donors had been as faithfully carried out a 3 was at all possible. The board would be glad to extend its operations to give combined t3cbnical and instruction at whichever of the sites might be found to be most suitable. He had made this suggestion to the Commissioners before the date of the native proposal, but he did not think this work could be enterprised by public subscription. He was

willing, hcwover, f,o join with the two private individuals referred to in the native proposal for the purpose of feeling tho public pulse on condition that the lßod terms of the grants were adhered to. In regard to clause 4, he could say that at bt. Stephens'and Victoria schools tho Maori youth of each sex was being educated “ to i become respectable settlers aud citizens, i and tho monoy for these schools came mainly from pakeha subscribers. The benefits aorivod from these schools were • far beyond any benefits likoly to accrue under the proposed scheme. He submifctod that (1) a considerable amount of the Waikato property is now let to improving tenants, (Z) that any interference with these tenants would be a hardship on them, (3) that the scheme of the natives is impracticable, and (4) that the scheme provides no evidence of ar>y breach of trust on the part of the General Trust Board.