NATIVE LAND COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1915, Page 3

NATIVE LAND COURT.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Possibly the greatest and most absorbing topic of interest to the business people of llawera is the removal of the present sitting of the Native Land Court from llawera to Normanby. From information received it seems that our Mayor and councillors are imposing conditions on the Natives who frequent our town that make their lives unbearable. In fact, things have come to such a pass that only to-day tliey petitioned the Judge to remove the Court to Normanby, as they find it absolutely impossible to live in this town for the next three 'or four weeks. The Senior-Sergeant has been instructed to keep our Maori brethren to the strict letter of the law, which includes fines and penalties for the slightest offence, even for expectorating on the footpaths or streets. Any boisterous Natives duly collected will perhaps lie fined on a more serious charge. Since the Land Court opened the Natives believe that they have been unneeessarily harassed, until they can stand it no longer. As a -busincW man of llawera 1 must voice my protest against this scandalous stale of all'airs. I think that at the present time, when business is none too good on account of the great European war, we should not stand still and have a place cut from under our very noses without protest. Just think for one moment what a loss to the town it will be for the next three or four weeks with the removal of live or six hundred natives from our midst, and putting them to unnecessary trouble and expense.—l am, etc., BUSINESS MAN. Hawera, Nov. 1".