THE MOKAU LEASES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 221, 12 January 1911, Page 8

THE MOKAU LEASES

OFFER BY MR. HERMAN LEWIS. Auckland, January 10. At a general sitting of the Native Lands Court at Te Kuiti the chief business was to obtain the consent of native owners to a purchase of the MoksiuMolmkatino block by Mr. Herman Lewis, of Wellington. Mr. Skerrett, K.C., with him Mr. Dalziell, both of Wellington, represented the applicant, while Mr. Lewis and Mr. Tuiti Maedonald appeared on behalf of those native owners who objected to the proposals. The land in question has been the subject of much litigation in the Law Courts of New Zealand, and also of England. Mr. Herman Lewis now seeks to acquire the whole of the native interests in the oiock, witli a condition that tut natives are to consider his position, seeing he has 38 more years to run as lessee. He oilers the natives ;£20,000 for the whole of the Mokau block, which is valued at the present time at £32,000 by tli'e Government. Some of the native's interested consented before the board to Mr. Lewis's application, which was objected to by those for whom Mr. T. Maedonald appeared. The matter was argued at considerable length, and eventually the president of the board decided to adjourn further consideration to enauie as many of the native owners as possible to bo present at the next board meeting. According to the feeling of the natives interested, the matter may be moved to the Supreme Court to test the validity of all the leases issued to Mr. Joshua Jones.