MEETING OF THE NATIVE COMMITTEE AT OTOROHANCA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1915, 14 October 1884, Page 3

MEETING OF THE NATIVE COMMITTEE AT OTOROHANCA.

[l ItOM 01 II OWN, COKUI nI'OMMAI.] ivIIIIMIH. SatUld.U. Till X.lllNO Committee COliniH Heed its slttin;;-, on the 7th in-t , .it < )toiohaiii>a Some (u the mcmlv is weio .ibsen*, unhiding the ch.ui in in, (Jniixhv, w lio is in Wellington. Vim little mtrie twa^ minced m the piocu'din,-, and tin 1 attendance was stu.ill. A lett"i winch h.id boon lecened fioin v . aLiinu wis discii--ed. One subject of iii~c u--ion \w - the i 'ting of 3 E.ioii lands, w hic h tliDi- |Pit'sL'iit hi-,hl> disappH'Ncd of, \ilntli was, ])"lli.i]is, o.\ing to then not uiK'oist.iiidiii^ the meaning of tl'e J!atin£ \<l Mi t/iice, vho \' .is pii'scnt, e\|il,tined that it «js to lai-e .uo,iev foi I'i.iKii'^ io..ci , .'lid told tip in tli.it Kino \p 'Us h.id to p.iv int>ni'Y foi this pmpose. Tho\ quite appio\u\ < f h.v\m« Rood \o,\i\s, but ten the pies'iiil, did not \\ <nt the K.iting A< t in foice in then distnct. Anothei\ sul)|(l.c of discn-suin wa- what the\ t should chalk'' 1 fm the land to be 1 i'vi n mi 1)\ the line ot i:ulua\.j The\ wiie undecided v hethei they 'liniild chiij-je \i\ the foot oi by the clmn, and foi Mtos toi ladwaj' stations '■Dine llioiiijlit lw o hillinns a foot Would be .i fan |iiice, while otheis objected on the tliat it vas nisiifiicient. They mi illy iiini'd 'it the conclusion that fifteen shillings a fm t would be , i fan puce, <dle^in^ as a le.win tliat as the iadwa> Inou^ht in sucli i lot of nionoy the palcohas would not stick at that pi ice. Mi (iiace 1 old them tin-} would not bo paid by the foot, but that if they \\<»ie paid it would be by the \.iluc ,'isceit.u.ied by compotont poisons. The advisability of having the titles nidi\ iduabsed aftei the big block was passed tin ongh the couit. was also discussed. Mauv of them, howovoi, .seemed to think it would be inadMs.ible to do mi. Wahaniu in his letter said that so tar ho had not .in i\ ud .it any undei standing with the (}o\ eminent, but hoped to do so liefoie he left. Fiom what the natnes say it would appeal th.it the committee is not held in \ei> hiidi estimation anionfr them ; many of them indeed say the whole thini; is a, f.uce, and it would be as well to do aw ay w lth it .iltogother. The coiniintteo discussed many tlnnqs quite foreign to the object of its appointment, and quite o\eilook what ie was appointed for by the act. It wastes a yieat deal of time m consideimK the most tuvml aiiaiis of Maon e\ ci v-day lite, As an instance of this, I w ill cite the case of one of the Hotitt's. He intended building a wooden house at his place, and with that intention employed hawyeis to cut the timber. But for some reason the committee took the matter up some time ago, .md told him not to go on with the biuldni" until the meeting on the 7th of this month. Aceoidingly lie stopped the woik ponding their decision, but nothing as far as f can leai n has been done, and theie the matter stand*. It is \eiy evident the committee was not appointed to interfeie in Hiich tiixial mattei's, Indeed it has been said the appointment of the committee was a smt of " sop to Ceibeius," and not foi any definite good it would do, although the act lays down and cleailv delmes its functions. A whole day or neaily so was wasted in the appointment of a chairman pi o ten).