THE MAORI LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 148, 19 April 1909, Page 2

THE MAORI LANDS.

Conference at Waahi. A large gathering of Natives assembled at Waahi, the home of King Mahuta, last week, in order to confer regarding matters affecting the Native Lands. The interest in the gathering is widespread and the attendance at the meeting is estimated at 1500. The Hon. A. T. Ngata is attending the conference. With reference to the object of the meeting Henarc Kaihau, M.P., stated that while the Natives assembled at Waahi were anxious to see the legislation of last session given effect to the real object was to lay before the representatives of the Government the urgent need of bringing to a head the agreement arrived at last year at Ngaruawahia "On that occasion," said Mr Kaihau, "an agreement was entered into by King Mahuta and myself with the Hon.. J. Carroll on behalf of the Government. It was then decided that in the country extending from Auckland down to Tauranga, and from thence down south to Lake Taupo, to the North Taranaki Bight, a certain area of Native land should be set apart for specified purposes. We then agreed that the area of 144.803 acres should be set aside at Papakainga lands for village settlement purposes; that 356,812 acres should be leased, 15,149 acres farmed, 46,462 acres sold, and 93,975 acres reserved under the mana of King Ma* huta, making a total on all of 656,801. This area is embraced in the counties of Manukau, Coromandel, Thames, Ohinemuri, Waikato, Raglan, Piako, Tauranga, Matamata, Waipa, Kawhia, Awakino, Waitomo, Taupo, Ohura, and Clifton. These things were agreed to at the conference we had at Ngaruawahia, and we now want to have them ratified."

The proposals announced by the promoters of the present conference have been criticised by Rawhiti and Tauwharaina, who are attending as represenatives of Taingakawa, a leading chief. Th?y state that their chief objects to the saJe cf the land under his jurisdiction and therefore the area set forth in Mr Kaihau's scheme does not include Piako, Tauranga, Matamata, and a portion of the Kawhia division. The object of Taingakawa r s scheme is to individualise all the land, thereby making provision for landless Natives, while the money raised on the land? will be utilised in starring all the Natives in dairying ana farming pursuits. Warm discussions are anticipated.