ARIA METAL QUARRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 746, 17 February 1915, Page 5

ARIA METAL QUARRY.

DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL. DISPUTE STILL UNSETTLED. The taking of a limestone quarry at Aria by the Waitomo County Council for the purpose of obtaining metal for the roads has been the subject of a dispute with the natives for the past week or two, and the contractor for the work of metalling is still held up in consequence of the attitude of the natives who refuse to allow the reserve to be entered upon. The matter came before the Council on Monday evening. Messrs Broadfoot and Finlay wrote to the effp.ct that on behalf of the Council they objected strongly to the proclamation being cancelled or in any way interfered with as might be suggested. They had told the Public Works Department there was ample room for the metal to be worked without that porcion of the quarry where the bodies were interred being interfered with. The chairman said the Council had attempted to deal with the natives, but to no end.

The engineer said the -natives claimed the quarry was an old burial ground and had been reserved as such by the Native Land Court, and they refused to allow the contractor to enter the reserve.

Cr Jackaon said if it was correct that the natives had the land reserved as a burial ground it might be advisable to let the reserve go. There was a great deal of sentiment among the natives with respect to the bones of their ancestors. The chairman said the Council had already spent about a hundred and fifty pounds in building a bridge over the stream to get to the quarry. Cr Smyth said he understood one of the chief objectors had claimed in the Native Land Court that his father was buried on different blocks of land. He thought a good deal of the sentiment was probably assumed for the occasion. The quarry was of the greatest importance to the district, as it was the only metal readily available. On the motion of the chairman and Cr Warren, the matter of tne quarry was left in the hands of the chairman, Cr Smyth and the engineer to act according to the advice of the Council's solicitor.