EJECTION OF NATIVES ON THE PUKEKURA BLOCK.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1620, 21 November 1882, Page 2

EJECTION OF NATIVES ON THE PUKEKURA BLOCK.

Somk eighteen months ago, it will be remembered, a Royal Commission sat at Cambridge to enquire into and investigate the claim of the Ngatikawhata tribe to ! the Puahoe, Pukekura, and Mangatautari lauds. These people, acting under the advice of Alex. MacDonald, otherwise known as the white chief of Ngatikawhata, came from Otaki in the Wellington province, and squatting on the lands above mentioned, established a claim thereto. These lands at that time, as at present, were in the leasehold possession of Messrs Grice and Walker, but their title was disputed by the Ngatikawhatas who asserted that as the laud was not leased from them, the proper grantees, the lea&e could not possibly be valid. After considerable enquiry the commission decided against the natives, to whom it was demonstrated that their title was ml. NgatikaAvhata, however, still persistently ignored this decision by remaining on the land, cultivating it. and erecting a number of whares thereon. From time to time they were requested by Mr E, B. Walker to leave the place, but his request was never complied with. A considerable portion of the land on the Pukekura Block has been cultivated and otherwise improved by the lessees, and as .the, land upon wliich the natives had erected' their wliares was about to be cultivated. Mr Walker renewed his request that they should remove, and should desist from • further cultivating the land on their own account. This, however, they continued to do in spite of all remonstrance to the contrary. Seeing that moral force was unavailable, 'on Friday last Mv Walker gathered a considerable number of men, and proceeded to enforce his request. The fences round the native cultivations were pulled down, and cattle turned on to the crops. The whares, to the number of about twelve, were next disposed of, they being levelled to the ground. As the weather was of a somewhat iuclemeut natnre during the day, Mr Walker spared one large whare and a small one, for the accomodation and shelter of the women and children and old men. Mr Grace, who, was present as interpreter, reminded the natives of the decision given by the commission against them. Throughout the destruction of their property the natives looked on with the greatest indifference, and never interfered in any way with the men. There were about thirty of the Ngatikawhata people on the ground, and about the same number of Europeans.