THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO. THE RAILWAY QUESTION AND THE LAND. [From our Special Reporter.] Kihikihi, Thursday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1964, 7 February 1885, Page 2

THE NATIVE MINISTER IN WAIKATO. THE RAILWAY QUESTION AND THE LAND. [From our Special Reporter.] Kihikihi, Thursday.

Mk 13 ux i.vck met the natives according to airangements in the Public Hall this morning at eli*\ un o'clock. W.ili.unn opened tin- pioceedings. He asked th.it tune should bo allowed for the n.iti\e-> to talk «i\pr the ni.ittci <rf the railway, as the whole of the natives were not present. Te Rangi Tnt.ii.l, Taonui, Ornisby and other natives followed in tho same strain, :ind asked that timo should bo allowed. Ornnby asked how much land the (Jovernnient would require for the railway, and wh.it the natives would bo wanted to do in the matter. W.ih.inui and Orrnnby asked to have the Kavvhin, road continued into Alexandra from Kopna. Mr Bullhuco, in reply to the varioiih points rained by the foregoing speakers, said : — It is perhaps letter tliat 1 should now explain, in annvver to the questions that have lieen put to me, what mv views are upon these various subjects. Of course, that will not preclude any one else fiom rising and discussing any <»ther questions which may occur to them. Wahanui, T.uiuiii and others have asked for tune to discuss the question regarding the railway. They do not ask for timo for themselves or for the people present, but for .some who arc absent. I therefore t.ike it, that they have already made up their minds, in fact 1 knew th it from speeches mado by themselves, and from letters thit I have received, that they have already made up their minds with regard to the railway. It is of course well that these questions should be discussed, but I understood that theyohad been thoroughly discussed by tho natives from the one end of the railway line to tho other. Now I have met the people at botlj endii of the line, and I have met a great many people front tho middle of the line. I understand that Te Ngat;>i represent th» people at the upper part of the Wanganui river, ami that lie is one of the persons whose decision lus yet to lw taken upon the question, but I understand from Ngatai himself through others that lie had already made up his mind in favour of the railway. Herikiekie, who comes from W«mgtuui, says that be asks for time I met Ins son it Wanganui, and also at Kanana, and ho Mjenunl to bo in favour of the line going on at once. lof course am glad to hear that these question* aro to bo discussed amongst yourselfes ; you are aware what took place at Parliament last year with regard to the railway. Parliament went to great pains to ascertain the best route foi the line. It took the e\ idence of W ili.inui and others with regard to it and they fixed upon tho hue. The surveys have Ik>cu made and aro neatly complete.. I undei stand from the engineers that in about tlnee weeks time they will be ready to call for tenders fur tin work itself. That will ot course give ample time now to consult those natives who are not present. Otir desiie is to hm'sh on the line with all speed so that there will lie no delay in tjic construction of it. Thatis the wish of Parlianieut,and I understand it to be rh>' wish of most of the people among you. Now with regard to what the Government proposed as to the land along which tl>e railway ih taken. I wish to explain this rmtter fully. I did not explain it yesterday. I intended to do so but I omtttej it. The engineers have determined the amount of land that will be necessary for the construction of the lint: the engineer informs me that he will require one chain m width except where it runs along the side of hills where cuttings are made, then a little more will be relequired, perhaps two chains. That is what the engineers s»y will be required foi the railway line. It is so ieasoii;%ble tint lam quite sure that no one here would object to it. Then with regard to the stations, lam told that we will require perhaps hive acres, or, in some places wheie there in likely to be .i large settlement ten acres for the station. Now we propo-e fr> deal with the natives in the matter of this line precisely as we would deal with the Kuropoans. The law is the same in both cases. SVe have recognised the principle that if we take land for public purposes, such as a tailway, we have aright to pay for it. When therefore tl>« owners aro found and tho title is determined, tho matter will go to arbitration, and the owners will be paid for the amount of land which is taken for the railway. When the payment is made will entirely depend upon yourselves. That is to «.iy, when you are prepared to go and prove your title to the land. Wahanui has referred to the railway pa-sing through certain bush country, and I will explain this matter to you. Some of the ovvneis object to the bush being cut down and the railway taken through th.it country. They say that the railway should go round and not go through the bush. I have consulted the engineer ujnui this point and he tells me that it would be a very much worse line if it weie taken round, and a» the nil way is made for ever he thinks, and I think too, that it should be taken by the best route : but if it injures the bush so tm:ch the better for the owners; they will get the value of the tuubei cut down. In other parts of the country, wheie Europeans own timber land, they aie very anxious that roads and railways should lie taken through the land in order to develop tho value of the timber. So I should strongly recommend the owners of this timber country to insist upon having the railway through it, for their own Ik'tiefit. However, subject to what I have said ah to the payment, the engineers must take the railway by the best lino. If it were in the nutter of the Europeans, of course it would not do to allow every man to be an engineer for the mil way. If he did the railway would have as many turns in it then as a serpent. However the native interest cuirmt suffer, lxspame the land will be paid for. If tho land is very valuable they will get a higher price for it, '<nd we shrill make no di-tmc-tion between them and the Europeans in this matter. I think now that I have answered that question satisfactorily. One speaker said that ho did not intend to let his land go. Of coinse, he did not refer to tho land for the mil way. Ho referred to his land generally I suppose. We do not wish him to let his land go. These mutters will be left to the owners to say what they will do with theii own land. All that the Government ask for is that they should have the lnnd for tho railway and for mads, and that they should pay a f.iir price for it. I think now I have referred to all the points. I will only s.iy again with regird to discussion, by all means discuss the matter among yourselves. lam v«ry glad to hear that my statement with regard to tlm Rating Act is satisfactory to you, 1 havn expressed my sentiments very fully and need not repeat thorn. In reference to the railway, tho engineers are at work, the (Jovernment have gone to a cousidei able amount of expenditure, Pailiament has authorised the hue, and I wish you to airiee among yourselves as quiiklv us you possibly can. T only say further that with regard to Ngatni, to whom reference is to be made in this matter, that I expected to meet him on the Wanganui liver. I was told that lie could not oome down because of a slip in the liver, and then it was mild that ho would meet me here, but I was informed that he was very favourable to the railway. Hut he is not he,ie, and I ainnot resjionsible foi that. With regard to the mad from Kawhia touching Alexandra, tho engineers have laid out the road, so that when continued it will join the railway line. I should aNo like to soc a road made to Alex, andra a« woll, but I was told that that ro.nl would bo vei v difficult and very costly, and that it would be of very little \\^% in tio winter time. I will, however, see alvmt that road, and, of course, if I can induce the Public Works Department to make it, I shall do it, because I recognise that the nioro ronds the native jmople have the lmtter for theniHulvi's. I think now that I have referred to all the questions that havo been i.iised by the various speakers. Hopa te Rungianini, Aj>oro Taratntu, Wahanui and Ranjfituatea Ormsby all spoko at cojiiiijornblo length. H«>|k* n.m anxious about his sw.unps. liy damming up his swamps hisools, weirs would be useless, and his col supply, which was his staple food, would ceaie. He said that in Enghind tho trains ran across aqueducts; he thought ho s.une might bo auanged here. Another old man was anxious übout the destiuctmn of the kihikatc.t bush on account of the berries, but generally speaking all piesent wero in favour of the line being proct*l<d with, Nothing in the way of i opposition was offered. Hewi said he understood it was all nettled , thlt tilt* land should bit civ en to the railway line. He had wiitten a letter to Mr Bryce, asking him that the line should be oompleted within five years, that ho might rido (in it befon lm died. lie a«k«d tnit the ro. mainder of the month might be allowed to them to discuss the mutter in. Mr Ltallnncq replied, «WvwUn£ to tho re- '

(]uet*t which lie considered was .1 \ery proper one. Referring to Walmnui's \i«it to Wellington, he (Mr Hall.vice) thought he lia<J reii'lcu'd pre;\t »f>r\ice to the native pjople l>y his j)rt3«ence there, u» lie was able to ptit the views of the people before the Parliament, and represent their interests.