MOKAU LANDS COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 52, 23 August 1911, Page 2

MOKAU LANDS COMMISSION

. m MASSEY'S EVIDENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday. The Mokau land transaction was further considered by the Xative Affairs Committee this morning. Mr. Jennings (chairman) drew attention' to a report appearing in a. paper to the effect that he had stated that he did not wish to narrow the inquiry, whereas Mr. Massey had made that remark. Mr. Massey recounted the history of the case and pointed out that the meeting at which an Order-in-Council was made was presided over by Mr. Carroll and was held on March 15. The sale was confirmed by the Maori' Land B«ard on March 22 and was not gazetted until March 30. He held that the syndicate did not propose to part 'with th# mineral rights, which will give them a monopoly over the coal bearing areas of the West Csast of the Taranaki Provincial District. The Government had made a serious mistake in allowing the block to be purchased by private individuals. The Government should have acquired the land, and after disposing of the coal bearing areas, cut up the block under the optional system. Sir James Carroll asked if Mr. Massey was correctly reported in saying that Jones' title became void and the natives had resumed the occupation of the land. Mr. Massey said that was not quite right. He did not suggest that the land had not legally passed from the natives to Lewis. With regard to the statement that the Government could have (bought the land for 10s 4d, he hoped to he able to prove that the Government could have purchased the land for iess. His point was that the Government should have purchased from the native owners, and that the European settlers should not be exploited by a syndicate. It was just a matter ol opinion whether the Government should have bought the land or whether private enterprise should have been allowed to acquire it. The future settlers would not be able to get on the land on such easy terms as '■ the Government could have given. He had not the run of the departmental papers, and therefore could not be strictly accurate with regard to details. Mr. Ngata. asked if Mr. Massey's case might not be boiled down to two issues, that the issue of an Order-in-Council was detrimental to the public interests, and that it was against the interests of tho native owners. Mr. Massey refused to commit himself. He had heard that three different valuations of the property had placed it at less than the price' paid Iby the syndicate.

The committee adjourned till to-mor-row, when Joshua Jones will die called.