CORRESPONDENCE.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 9 December 1920, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

NATIVES AND RATES

[TO THE EDITOR. J

SIR, —Would you allow me space to shortly review Mr Ormsby'y plea for native lands from taxation, which appeared in your issue of 18th inst. Mr Ormsby says that the Government told the natives in 1890 that if they gave land for road and railway, the remaining land would be enhanced in value from shillings to pounds. This promise has been realised beyond the dreams of avarice—not from shillings to pounds, but from shillings to thousands of pounds. The value of one King Country township like Otorohanga, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui would, ten times over, pay for all the land given for rail, road and schools, and the natives are now enjoying the benefit of these improvements in what, at that time, was a wilderness. Mr Ormsby says the natives gave the land and then he goes on to say that the Government took all they wanted, for the specified purposes, under the Public Works Act, without compensating the natives. If the natives gave the land, why did they want compensation, and why did " Mahoki " seize Mr Wilson Hursthouse —when he was surveying the rail line, and chain him up in a cookhouse at Te Kumi, where he remained, until Helen Wete asserted her "mana" as a chieftainness of the NgatiManiopoto tribe, and released him ? Or, if the natives gave the land, why did the same " Mahoki " smash the windows of Green and Colebrook's store at Te Kuiti, and set fire to the goods inside, and was only prevented from doing further damage by Mr Colebrook coming in and knocking him down with a stout stick. " Mohoki " ended his days in an Auckland asylum. Mr Ormsby mentions the confiscated land in Taranaki, and would make it appear that a great injustice was done the natives by the Government, but omits to mention that nearly all the best and rich fertile lands of Waimate Plains were given back to the natives and is now, I think, administered by the Public Trustee, under the West Coast Leases Act, both there and at Waitara, in the interests of the natives. The Government kept only the rough hilly country at the back where our present Commissioner of Crown Lands did all the big work and put in a fuschia peg at the back corner of the confiscated line. In regard to Mr Ormsby's complaint about confiscations, would he allow me to point out that under the " Waitangi Treaty " protection and safety was offered and agreed upon, to all subjects of the British Crown, and relying upon these conditions, many settlers came to New Zealand and took up land previously bought and paid for by the Government. And what happened? In the Taranaki war, cited by Mr Ormsby, the natives turned ion the peaceful settlers, and carried on a campaign of murder, pillage and fire, thus breaking the covenants of the Treaty, under which they now seek protection against confiscation and taxes brought about by their own acts.

Had the Government of the day done right they would have confiscated the whole North Island which they were entitled to do, both by the breach of the Treaty, and by the right of conquest, a right recognised by Maori law, in their own land courts to-day. I think Mr Ormsby has made out a very good oase to show why native lands should be taken on the same lines as his pakeha brother. There are to-day many idle blocks of native land, breeding rabbits and noxious weeds and paying no taxes, and increasing in value every day by virtue of the energy of the pakeha.

I may be allowed bo mention that our neighbour Mr Craven, of Parkhurst, took part in the i great fight at Waireka between the settlers and the Maoris. Mr Craven was one of a party of blue-jackets landed from H.M.S. " Niger " to help the settlers, and he had the honour of turning the tide of battle by slaying the Maori chief in single combat, and by so doing probably saved the tragic ending of New Plymouth. The chief did not allow for the training and skill of the navy. I may add that Mr Craven's name is toasted and honoured and the chiefs "taiaha" is laid on the table at the annual reunion of old veterans and settlers at New Plymouth. And h,is n,.am,e will be honoured and toasted in silence when he is gone.—l am, etc.,