KEREPEEHI MAORIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5301, 18 July 1928, Page 1

KEREPEEHI MAORIS.

BURYING THEIR DEAD. COURT GRANTS INJUNCTION. The right of Maoris, to bury their dead on a certain piece of land at Kerepeehi was discussed in the Auckland Supreme Court on Monday, before Mr, Justice’ MacGregor, when Reuben Conner, of Kerepeehi, butcher (Mr Garland), claimed £.lOO damages gnd an injunction against. Tamehana Peeke, Paratene Hotene, Mark Barton, and Ernest Barber’, labourers, of Kerepeehi, to refrain them from trespassing and using the land as a burial ground. The action was undefended. In the statement, of claim plaintiff said that defendants wrongfully claimd to use as a buriaj ground part of a piece of land owned and occupied by plaintiff. Op August 22 last defendants wilfully trespassed on the lam} and buried there the body 'of »• deceased Maori, Pape Ellis. Defendants still persisted in the claim, and threatened, and intended to trespass on. and 1 use the’ land again as a Maori bur.raj ground. Connor, in evidence, said that he owned 14% acres of land, and held a land transfer title. Prior to the trespass he had heard of the natives intention, and. had given them written notice of his objection. The Maoris had had to' remove a, fence to enter the property. Witness, in the pres-., ence of the local police constable, ordered the Maoris off his land. The majority at once left, but the de fendants refused to go. Since the actual issue of widt three more bodies had been buried) on the property. His Honour said that the plaintiff had proved his case, and was entitled to an injunction. The Maoris seemed to be under the idea that they had. a right to bury their dead on the property. They must be refrained from further, trespass, and therefore the injunction would be. granted. No very clear damage had been, proved, but the trespass was an aggravated one, and had been committed after, notice. Plaintiff would be awarded £25. damages;.