CONFERENCE MEETING.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 216, 22 August 1884, Page 2

CONFERENCE MEETING.

A meeting of the Conference of the Councils and Harbor Board, and the Committee appointed at the public meeting, was held last evening for the purpose of passing a petition to be forwarded to Parliament. There were present: Messrs. Lewis, Gannon, Townley, Tutchen, Rees, Mackay, Joyce and Smith, and also the Clerks of the Councils. His Worship the Mayor was absent through indisposition. Mr. Townley was voted to the chair. He explained that the meeting arose out of the public meeting, and was to discuss a petition drafted by Mr. Rees, which could be amended if any gentlemen thought necessary. If not they could approve of it and pass it. Mr. Rees said the petition had already been approved of by the committee appointed at the public meeting. He then read the petition which he had drafted. Mr. Mackay approved of the substance, but not of the manner in which the clauses were put together. He then read a petition he had drawn up. Mr. Tutchen referred to no mention being made of a registration office. Mr. Rees explained that it was inadvisable to crowd in too many subjects, and the House would not listen to detail. By sticking to the two principle items mentioned they would have more chance of success.

The meeting then proceeded to go through the two drafts clause by clause, and ultimately decided on the following :—

To the Honorable the Speaker and the Members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, —

The humble petition of the electors and inhabitants of the East Coast Electoral District, sheweth—1. That the East Coast of the sail North Island is at the present time only approachable from the other parts of New Zealand by sea, and must so remain until railway communication is completed. 2. That through absence of proper harbor accommodation at Poverty Bay, and facilities for traffic and commerce, steamers and sailing vessels are often compelled to pass by our roadstead and river from stress of weather, and from this cause, as well as the difficulty and expense of importing and exporting goods, your petitioners suffer serious and heavy loss. 3. That there is no harbor of refuge on the East Coast between Auckland and Wellington, a distance of over six hundred miles, and that Poverty Bay is the most suitable place for such a harbor.

4. That the European population of this district is increasing, and would increase more rapidly if harbor works of a suitable character were constructed, the interior opened for settlement by means of light railways or tramways, and the great territories of good land owned by Natives and by the Crown, now lying idle and inaccessible, were rendered available for profitable occupation. 5. That there are in this district over 600,000 acres of Crown lands now practically useless, and a source of heavy annual loss to the country in interest and rates, which if opened for settlement would support a large industrious population and yield a revenue sufficient to pay the cost of a harbor and railway, and also add to the wealth and prosperity of the whole community. 6. That upwards of a million of acres of Native land fit for settlement, the title to which has not yet been determined, is now in the hands of the Maori owners, who desire to pass the same through the Native Lands Court, and open it for occupation, if the Native Lands Court be sent to the various centres of Native population in this district to adjudicate upon the titles, and this land would yield a great harvest to the revenue, both in stamp duty and in other taxation. 7. That up to the present time there have been lodged with the Registrar of the Native Lands Court at Gisborne upwards 3,000 applications in respect of Native lands which are still pending adjudication, and in places in this district there have been no sittings of the Native Lands Court for a long period of time, as for instance Wai-o-matatini, where alone 500,000 acres of good land are waiting adjudication, where 1,700 claims are to be dealt with, and where for five years no successors to dead persons have been appointed, nor any other work done in connexion with the Native Lands, and where all settlement and progress has been stifled by the neglect of the Native Lands Court.

8. That for many years we have paid very large sums of money annually to the public treasury, and are now contributing per head more than the inhabitants of any other part of this colony, as will be found by your Honorable House upon examination and enquiry.

9. That although the public treasury has received continuous and large sums of money from this district as the proceeds of land sales, taxation upon Native land, stamps, customs, postal, telegraph, and other sources of revenue, and although we are now paying at the least £30,000 a year in taxation beyond the cost of Government, both general and local, yet we have received but a very small amount in return in the past, nor are we now receiving any adequate reimbursement for the great burdens placed upon us by the laws which have been made by your Honorable House, and we humbly represent that while it would be expedient to utilize the waste lands of the Crown in this part of the Colony, and to provide proper means for the opening up of the country, the convenience of commerce, and the means of ingress and egress, justice demands that when we pay so much towards the interest of borrowed money spent in public improvements in other places, we should participate in the benefits of public improvements of a like nature here.

10. That although this district has beer considerably neglected during past years it . has advanced in spite of all difficulties, and we venture to point out that the assistance we need and request can be given without increasing the public burdens or pledging the credit of the Colony. 11. That if in its wisdom your Honorable Ifouse will devise a plan by which the necessary public works above alluded to can be constructed, and if the Native lands are thrown open for settlement without unnecessary delay, this district will feel that justice is at length obtained for its demands, and a rapid and permanent increase in public wealth and prosperity will accrue to your petitioners ; and they boldly assert that no part of New Zealand in soil and climate is superior to the East Coast. 12. And your petitioners in conclusion would venture to _ respectfully suggest that recent legislation in regard to native lands (The Native Land Laws Amendment Act, 1883) has not had the good effect expected, but on the contrary has tended to increase the difficulties which already existed in dealings between Europeans and Natives for the occupation of those lands. Wherefore your petitioners ever pray that your Honorable House will cause such measures to be taken as will ensure the immediate commencement of a Harbour at Gisborne, and an inland railway, and that speedy and permanent sittings of the Native Land’s Court at the various Maori centres of this district be held. And your petitioners will ever pray.