The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1917. HUNTING LAND GRABBERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 27 July 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1917. HUNTING LAND GRABBERS.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Wnimarino News).

About three years ago that fine, progressive district, Wairarapa, of which Masterton is the capital town, became notorious for a land scandal that has but few compeers in the history of the Dominion. The principal actors in the huge game of grab were two prominent Mastertonian supporters of that side of politics known as Reform, one a long resident and successful lawyer, and the other a remarkably progressive land agent. Their victims were a few native owners of a very large tract of magnificent country. By the devious ways known to lawyers and land agents the land in question ceased to be the property of the natives and at the same time figured in the assets of the lawyer and agent. There appeared to be so much of the sleight-of-hand business about the whole transaction that many people, including Members of Parliament, were mystified, and the country's final tribunal. Parliament, was appealed to. The Member for Wairarapa, who probably owes his presence in the House to-day to this notorious land deal, one of the" Reform Square kind, gave the Reform Government some anxious and troublous moments, until pure concern' at the feeling that was growing in the country the Reform Cabinet had to consent to a commission being set up to sit in judgment on the two Reform Square Dealers. The Commission, which was also largely tinctured with the Square Deal side of politcs, was slow in getting to work. The Member for Wairarapa kept matters very warm for the Square Dealers in the House, still the Commission did not move. Then the Natives, victims of Square Deal, set the law in motion, and there was every prospect of things moving merrily for a time, and people were rubbing their hands in anticipation of spicy and startling disclosures. The Square Deal saw trouble looming ahead and the two Masterton exponents of the cult had perforce to privately accept a deal more in accordance with what is understood by ordinary people. The lawyer and the land agent did not wait for the law to pronounce its verdict on their "Square Deal" with the poor unsophisticated natives; they made the best settlement they could and ever since the Commission set up by the Square Deal Cabinet has sat tight, made no enquiry, nor reported on the legal aspect of the lovely transaction. Until the lawyer and land agent became pillars of the Reform Square Deal party no two men more largely eni joyed the resfsect of their fellows, but the possibilities of Square Deal were

too great a temptation and they took an overdose ,of its acquisition and ag- I gregation mixture, and all that Parliament, Cabinet and Square Deal Doctors can now do will not restore them to their pristine innocence. The Member for Wairarapa, last Wednesday, asked the Minister for Native Affairs whether he could get a date fixed for the Commissionto commence the inquiry it was over two years tgo set up to holS". The "Minister feigned that he had nearly forgotten the incident, but he believes it was intended to set up a Commission, and, in fact, the gentleman was named who was to act on the Commission. It would, of course, be most improper, he said, to set up such a Commission while that purely private organisation ltnown as the Law Society had the matter under consideration. He understood this Society was bringing the matter before the Supreme Court., and until that is done it seems that the Member for Wairarapa and the general taxpayer will get little or 410 insight into the methods of Square Deal Heform pillars of strength. Even after this Law Society Supreme Court business has eventuated/ if ever it does, the Minister says all he can do is to ask the Minister in charge of the Public Trust Department as to whether a Commission was desirable. The Member for Wa'irarapa is realising that the Square Deal landgetter is beyond the law. Here is the greatest land scandal that was ever discovered, and we say discovered advisedly, in the Wairarapa, but under tne Square Deal regime the parties to it cannot be dug out, even by a Member of Parliament. Square Deal Ministers seem determined to shield their Square* Deal lawyer and land agent friends' from the ordinary laws of the country which other people are rigorously made subject to. We have referred to the matter here as the reports of the proceedsings of the House are session after session being disgraced by Ministerial refusal to for ever clear its pages of this scandal.