NATIVE LAND RATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 3 August 1907, Page 2

NATIVE LAND RATES.

A STATEMENT REQUIRING EXPLANATION. ( The chairman of the Clifton County Council at its meeting yesterday read the Vauler-General's memorandum (published in a recent issue) concerning the difficulty of obtaining information owing to the absence of reliable records of native ownership. It was an extraordinary thing, Mr Foreman remarked, that the titles should be in such a state of chaos, despite the lavish expenditure of money in the Native Department. Cr. O'Sullivan said that a Maori named Kupe out Dear Uruti had told him that he was paying rates indirectly. He had cut and carted flax to the mil!, and then the Public Trustee collected ten per cent, (about £l7) of the amount due, telling the Maori that the money was to pay-county rates. That money had not reached the office, The chairman said that the Native Minister, whea interviewed iu Wellington recently, had been considerably more guarded in his replies than at the New Plymouth interview, but he had agreed to introduce an amending Bill empowering the Public Ima tec to pay rates out of rcr's due by native owners. The Public Tr.istee had expressed the, conviction that the matter was naarinc solution. Mr Foreman said he was afraid that Parliament would be too fully occupied to give this matter mu -1> attention this session. He felt that as yet there had never been any serious eflort made to have the particulars of native ownership entered on the rolls, it should not present insuperable difficulties m Jara-iaki, for the Native Land Louit had been engaged n„ the matter of titles from time to time for some years past,.