THE MOKAU.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 137, 5 December 1911, Page 5

THE MOKAU.

Mil. ©KEY'S '•DISCOVERY." "A POLITICAL DODGE." STATEMENT OF THE COMPANY'S SOLICITOR. By Telegraph—Press Association. l'ahncrston N., Last Night. Mr. C. A. Loughnan, solicitor for the Mokau Company, writes to the Manawatu Daily 'Times regarding Mr. Okey's statements that the Government handed over 5021 acres •©! Crown lands to the company at live shillings and threepence per acre. That this was never Crown lands, and that the order of thp court had beet made in instance was shown in the evidence of Mr. Kensington, Under-Secretary for Lands,, who also showed that there was no handing over to. the syndicate. J '' Mr. Loughnan continues: "Mr. Kensington openly declared his intention to apply to the Native Land Court in the following October for an order cancelling the vesting orders granted in 11)07, for the reasons then given, and especially for the purpose of formally clearing the title for the purchasing syndicate or company. Mr. Massey was present, and heard Mr. Kensington give, his evidence. He even cross-examined that gentleman personally. He therefore knew not only what had been done, but what was going to be done about the cancellation of the order, and yet neither before the committee nor subsequently either in addressing the House of Representatives or the many meetings he has since harangued has he made a single reference to this matter until Mr. Okev sprang his belated mare's nest on the' 28th November. There can only be one or two explanations of such conduct. Either that Mr. Masscy was perfectly satisfied with Mr Kensington's action, explanations and proposals, or •else that Mr. Massey was himself particeps criminis to the whole swindle, and deliberately stood aside to let it go through. In common with everyone else who heard Mr. Kensington, the Leader of the Opposition was satisfied and the reopening of the matter is merely a political dodge. Mr. Dalziell throughout represented Mr. Herrman Lewis as vendor, and I alone represented the Company as purchasers in all its negotiations. I had no intercourse with the Government or any of its officials. I settled with Mr. Dalziell in entire and 1 complete ignorance of the existence of any orders vesting any of the land in the Crown. My searches disclosed nothing but charging orders protecting a. money claim by the Crown for survey charges amounting to £ 1409 Bs, and ■ upon the settlement in August last I gave Mr. Dalziell cheques, making up the full purchase money, taking his undertaking to clear the Government lien of £1401) Ss in due course out of that money. I was subsequently informed by Mr. Dalziell's office of the existence of the vesting orders, 'but was assured that these orders had always been treated as ineffectual, had never been signed, sealed, surveyed off, or acted upon, and that the department as a mere official act was taking steps to have the orders cancelled at the following sittings of the Land Court to be held in October. In due course I was advised that this had been done. It is also a fact that only about 3000 acres 'of the now celebrated 5020 acres passed the company. The balance was retained by Mr. Ilerrman Lewis, and that portion which did pass was paid for on the same footing as the rest of the block, namely, at the rate of £1 los per acre, as Mr. Okey very well knows, notwithstanding bis statement to the effect that the Government handed it over to the company for os lOd per acre."