RUA'S COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 53, 11 June 1910, Page 5

RUA'S COUNTRY.

TO BE OPENED TO THE PAKEHAS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Maori ••prophet" Rua, possessor of many wives, who once gave the European authorities a little anxiety owing to his opposition to modern civilising influences, appears to have completely altered his attitude, when Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., recently visited Tane Atua. in the Wha.kat.nne Valley, on the outskirts of the Urewera Country, the "Prophet's" stronghold. Hun passed through with his following, and although Mr. Field did not .happen to be near at the time, a friend of his had p. conversation with Rua, who was most communicative. He said that an a rea of his people's country, 000,000 a ores in extent, was to be thrown open for settlement at once. Mr. Field found some corroboration of the statement in the office of a local land agent, where a plan of about 750,000 acres of the I'rewera Country was shown, indicating sub-divisions for farming.puroses, some of them being very large. The local farmers who occupy small holdings in the valley wish to extend their farms by taking up hill country owned by the Maoris, and they described Rua's attitude as most conciliatory towards the European.