Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1900. The Old Cemetery.

Manawatu Herald, 18 September 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 1900. The Old Cemetery.

The old disused cemetery at the north end of the Main street needs the attention of the Borough Council. Some years ago the old native chief, the late Eereopa, authorised the Rev. James Duncan to inform the Council that he, the chief, desired the Borough to have control of the property, which had been up to then, and even afterwards used as a backyard for the house on the adjoining section of land. As the cemetery contains the remains of not only Maoris but Europeans the thing was a disgrace, but what was anybody's business was nobody's" business, and the evil went on. After the statement of the chief's wishes, the Council has done a little but much more remains to be done, which would not be well to do until the title is properly secured. It was thought that as the Cemeteries Act gave the Council power to deal with cemeteries, as they now do with the General Cemetery, that this piece of land would come under the denomination, but on looking up the Acts w« discovered that they would not fit in, so in May last we addressed a letter to the Colonial Seoretary asking him his view of the question. We have received the following reply from the Under Secretary Department of Lands and Survey : — " Referring to your letter of the 21st May, as to the position of a certain Block of land at Foxton, which was not allowed to be used as a Cemetery, I have the honour to inform you that the piece of land is evidently section 97 of the Town of Foxton, which was reserved by the natives when selling the Block. The " Foxton Burials Prevention Act 1871 " prohibited the land being used for burials, but so far as can be ascertained it was not set apart as a Cemetery. The land is native land. The northern part of the section 97 B is inalienable, and the southern portion is held under a Native Land Court Title." Our correspondent has erred as to the magnetic position of the Blocks, whioh are alongside of one another and what is termed the " Northern " portion is really the eastern portion and the Cemetery ; and the ' " southern " portion is the western ' portion on which the house is standing. The difficulty in the way o|

dealing with the old Cemetery is in its being inalienable, but undoubtedly some way out of the diffic .ilty can be found when it is shown that the possession of the land is simply to give the Borough power to care and tend this last resting place of the old inhabitants. We hope Councillors will see the fitness of taking some extra trouble in this manner as the place as at present is a reflection on the right feeling of the inhabitants, which would be removed had our Council but authority over the land. The spot could be made to look both neat and pretty with proper respect to those lying beneath the sod, and the sooner this is done the better will it be for all.