THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10454, 20 October 1911, Page 5

THE MOKAU TRANSACTION.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. JUST AS EXPECTED. ! By Telegraph—Press Atsfciation. WELLINGTONS,, Last Night. ' The report on; the inquiry regarding the transactions of the Government in connection with the Mokau and tMohakatino blocks was .presented 'by the Chairman. of the Native Affairs Committee this afternoon. The Committee prefaced its report with a summary of the statement made an the Bouse some weeks ago by Sir James Carroll, then ActingPrime Minister, and the statement made 'by Mr Massey at the opening ■of the inquiry. .. The Committee found that the statement of iSir James iCarroll icor;rectly set out the facts relating to ,the Government's association with the transaction. Mr Massey's state-. arent correctly sets out the facts .referred 'tohy.him, and is inagreement with the statement o* the Government, except as to three minor matters: (1) He suggested that, the limitation provisions of the Native Land Act were voided by the issue of an Order-in-Council, -whereas in fact the Order-in-Counicil -was issued in aoooixiahce with such limitation ions; (2) The statement to the effect that the meeting of Native owners was not (properly representative -was disproved; (3, The statement to the ■ effect that a company, or memlbers of 'a -company;,- will possess* : practically the monopoly of the coal-bearing *areae on the West Coast of the Tar'ahaki" provincial district is* disproved ■ .;.'■'; ■.. ..'"'■-•-"•'■ ''The only' additionalrfacts which thf- Committee deems it.necessary to refei; to,'' the report continues, "are that the lessee finally Required interest of the Natives in the Mocks, for ' a sum of, £2S,(KK) in cash,- and a sum of £2-500 in fully paid up shares in a Company .having a. capital of £lo,'000, formed to acquire the Mokau and iftdohakatino 'block, and othetjy properties. Mr Hermanu Lewis,- tbj&j lessee, sold all his interests ip . the r Mokau-Mohakatiho blocks (excepting ar area of about 7000 acres, which are subject to certain sub-leases to Mi' Maso-i Cnam/bers) for a sum of ;£■/i.OOO in cash, and £4OOO in fully ipaid. up shares in the company. The company piirehased from i Mir Mason Chamibers, paying him in cash and in Shares in its capital, a sum of £BS,- : jOOO. The sum paid to vae Natives ' fo their, interest in the land Tyas ■'greater than the.actual value of the i interests of the Natives, burdened ■ with leases 'assuming the purchase i money obtained Iby the lessee to. be .the true value of the block. Sug- ; gestions were made'before, the Committee reflecting upon certain Departmental officers concerned in this tiansaction, but the Gomimittee is satisfied that these suggestions we"e entirely disproved."