THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10414, 7 September 1911, Page 6

THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

ENQUIRY PROCEEDING. CLAIM FOR £IO,OOO. By Telegraph^—Frees Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The cross-examination of Mr Hardy (surveyor), was continued. . To Mr Dive: The witness said that although he thought the land not worth £25,000, he did not advise the Natives to sell, as his advice had not been asked. The ooal on the block was .below river level, and witness thought it could not be worked economically. To Mr Hemes: If the Natives could have raised £BOO to carry on, witness did not think they would have .sold the block.

To Mr Jennings: Prior to the sale the Natives were receiving Is 4d per acre for the lease of the lands. The Native owners had other lands beside this block. When witness inspected the block, he noticed that the only suitable locations for homesteads were already taken up under twenty-seven years' leases, and the Company could not shift these lessees. The opening of the block would be a fine thing for I Te Kuiti and the neighbouring places. Exclusive of sub-leased land and other encumbrances, the block was worth on an average not more than one pound per acre. To Mr Massey: Witness had never heard of any negotiations with the Natives by the Government to purchase the block. The area of the Mangapapa block, which was on the other side of the river to the Mokau block, was 14,000 acres. To Mr Dalziell:, The Natives have since advised a claim of £IO,OOO damages for non-compliance with the agreement. ■ Mr R. McNab said the first knowledge that he 'had -of the matter was . an agent calling en him and asking him to take shares in the company. He took 1000. The capital of the company was £IOO,OOO. The price to bo paid for the freehold was £85.000 and for the leasehold_ £50,000. The company had no dealings with Hermann Lewis. They bought from Mason' Chambers. He never communicated with any Ministers of the Crown in the matter. To Mr Massey: The company came to no decision regarding the minerals on the block. . : To Mr Jennings: The surveyors have been working for the past three months on the block. The company intended quitting the land at once. The committee adjourned.