THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10401, 23 August 1911, Page 5

THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

ENQUIRY RESUMED

By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Mokau land transaction was further considered by the Native 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 enquiry, whereas Mr Massey had made that remark. . Mr Massey recounted the history of the oase and pointed out that the meeting at which the Order-in-Coun-cil was made was presided over by Sir James Carroll, and was held on March 15th. The sale was confirmed by the Maori Land Board on March. 22nd, and was not gazetted until March 30. He held that the syndicate did not propose to part with the mineral rights, which will give tlhem a monopoly of the coal-bearing areas of the West Coast 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 the Jones title became void and "the natives had resumed occupation of the land.

Mr Massey said that this was not quite right. He did not suggest that the land had not legally passed from the natives to Mr Lewis. With regard to the statement that the Government could have bought land for 10s 4d an acre, he hoped to be able to prove that the Government could have purchased the land for less. His point was that the Government should have purchased from the native owners and that European settlers should not be exploited by a syndicate. It was just a matter of opinion whether the Government should have bought the land, or whether private enterprise should have been avowed to acquire it. Future settlers would not be able to get on the land on suoh easy terms as the Government could have given. He Lad not the run of 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 the Qrder-dn-Oounoil wias detrimental to the public interests, and that it was against the interests of the Native owners.

Mr Massey refused to commit himself. He had heard that there were different valuations of the property which had placed it at less than the price paid by the syndioate. " The committee adjourned till tomorrow when Mr "Mokaru" Jones will be called.