The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1916. WHERE’S THE STRAIGHT DEALER?

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 143, 20 June 1916, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1916. WHERE’S THE STRAIGHT DEALER?

With which is incorporated The Tal hape Post and Wahnarino News.)

The echoes of Native land scandals that have been ringing amidst parliamentary walls for a year or two are being drawn attention to by the Member for Wairarapa. The Government, last year, promised an enquiry into this particular piece of land juggling in which the chief characters are two ardent supporters of Mr Massey—a lawyer and a land agent—and the Public Trust Office. The worst aspects of human nature, among which is insatiable greed, might have led the two former into temptation, and possibly have caused them to fall, but what can be the Public Trustee’s part in the untoward little drama? An office that should be like Ceaser’s wife has either deteriorated since Mr Poynton was removed from it s presidential chair, or it has been unfortunate in acting upon imperfect information and understanding. No doubt the recent scandalous throwing away of native lands at Rotorua to friends by the Government, to theloss by the natives of very many thousands of pounds has reminded Members of the House of the Wairarapa scandal of over a year ago. Wairarapa’s representative wants to know when the promised enquiry is to take place; he pointed out that it was a matter that affected the honour of the legal profession and the Public. Trust Office. It was a very serious matter, and unless the public got an absolute assurance that there would be an enquiry, unless they were assured the whole thing would be probed to the very bottom, there would be intense dissatisfaction. It was one of the most serious things that had happened in New Zealand in regard to Native land transactions, and the conduct of the Public Trust Office He impfesed on the Government the

necessity for having thew-hole matter

searchingly This veryserious matter involving the honour of a solicitor, a land agent and the Public Trustee, Avas replied to by the Minister in coolly stating that the question was stil sub judice. The participants in this scandal are AvelknoAvn men, very old residents of Masterton, and, if they -have nothing to fear, it is cruel in the extreme to continue to allOAv such charges to hang over them. [Why is not the year-old promise redeemed and the matter (bleared Et'ho answers, Why?