MAORI VIEW

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 123, 16 January 1932, Page 5

MAORI VIEW

visits by europeans to mokoia island PROPERTY DAMAGE ALLEGED 9 In reference to certain eomplaints made by visitors to Mokoia Island,^ in Lake Rotorua, against the reeeption they reeeived from one of the Maoris living there, tbe native concerned when interviewed replied to tbe statements made against him in no uncertain manner. *

He said tbat when parties visited the island — he espeeially referred to residents of Rotorua— they had no consideration whatever for the owners of the land. About a ehain along the shoreline belqnged to the Government under the aglreement regarding the rights to the lake bed, but all tbe land inside this was privately owned by a number of Maoris.' He himself, owned a number of sections, one of which was adjacent to the landing and an other was near Hinemoa's Bath.

The parties of visitors, he contm-; ued, were often not satisfied with keeping to tbe sboreline, but wanedred all over tbe island often destroying tbe natives' crops, damaging their buildings, and invariably raiding their fruit trees to satify their greed. The small building housing the Kumera God had been practically destroyed and one person had malfciously fired pea-rifle bullets mto the sacred stone itself. All the windows in this structure had been sbattered and every available space was written on or carved witb names.

Regarding the making of a charge, the native said that had been a eustom for mpre than tbirty years, though' very often the money had not been eollected. He did not interfere with anyone as long as they behaved themselves, but when they wandered; through his crops and used his eleared spaces and paths, he considered he had every right to make a charge. He was the only native landowner who lived on the island permanentiy and he had the permission of the other owners to protect their property from

trespass by visitors. Only a few years ago some picniclcers had left a firet burning which had spread and de--stroyed all their crops and six huts. The person res'ponsible for leaving the fire could not be found and the property burned was a total loss. In referring to recent statements regarding the reeeption of visitors to the island the Maori repeated that he did not interfere unless they en-

croached on private property and then he often took no notice, hut when he had had cause to make some remark the trouble usually was commenced by the tourists and not by himself. He admitted threatening, some of them because they refused to go pff his property, but he said he did not intend any vioience, but was only angry at the insolent way tha visitors treated him, the owner of the; land on which they trespassed.