THE LAKE AND THE NATIVES.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 9 October 1917, Page 2

THE LAKE AND THE NATIVES.

* A QUESTION OF PRIVILEGES. At the Lake Domain Board meeting last evening the question of the natives' rights and privileges regarding Lake Horowhenua and the Hokio stream again cropped up. The secretary, Mr B. R. Gardener, stated that he had heard that the natives interested in the Lake had recently visited Wellington with the idea of getting the Act amended, so that the chain reserve on either side of the Hokio stream, which was vested in the Board, might revert to its original owners. He also understood that one ot the native members of the Board had accompanied the deputation. ,If the report were correct he considered the native members of the Board owed I some explanation to the other members. It was a wrong thing for a member of the | Board to go behind the Board's back and take such action as had been taken with- ' out notifying the Board. I The Mayor (Mr Blenkhorn) said if such action had been taken it was not right. A member of the Board should work in the interests of the Board, and if he could not do that he should resign. One of the native members, Hunita Henare, admitted that he had been down to Wellington. He contended that the tribe had put him on the Board to look after its interests, but as there were only three native members against six Europeans they were always out-voted. He considered he had found out something wrong for the tribe. The Maori had now nothing at all to do with the lake, and that was why he went to Wellington. Mr Broughton said he thought Hunita was under a misapprehension. Mr Gardener said the Act embodying the clause complained of came into force before the present Board was appointed, but the clause was really put in to protect the natives themselves, and Hunita was one of those present in Wellington. Both he and Mr Broughton were asked their opinion of it, and they agreed that it was a good thing for the natives. As far as the Europeans were concerned there was no necessity for it, and it was only for the benefit of the natives that it was put in.

Mr Aitken said, in the hope of preventing future trouble the native member should be told he had taken up an entirely wrong position.

The Mayor agreed. He said no doubt differences would arise and they were there to thrash those differences out, but members should first be loyal to the Board.