NATIVE LEASES INVALIDATED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 106, 3 May 1912, Page 6

NATIVE LEASES INVALIDATED.

■BY MAORI ECESEPKETERS. An ofltence of a most unusual nature was the subject of a Police Court action before Mr.. K. C Cutten, S_\L, this mornj ing against a Alaori interpreter named j George R. Hamilton. The accused is a native interpreter of the second grade, and he was charged with acting as a native interpreter of the first grade. Under the Native Land Act only an interpreter of first grade can interpret j and witness leases to land under the; Act. Recently a lease was presented to ! the Waikato Native band Board, and ', it was found to be signed and witnessed i by accused, whose signature was a-ccom- 1 panied 'by the words "No. 1," and some- ; tiling else not easily decipherable. It was I known that Hamilton was only a I second-grade interpreter, and therefore, not competent to witness and interpret' the lease, and an investigation brought' to light several other case., of leases signed by .-.econd-yrrade interpreters. The result was that those, who were- parties ( to the leases had to have the documentsprepared again, and go to the consider- j able expense of engaging a first-grade] interpreter to obtain the signatures of the native owners an.l interpret the agreement. In con-se'jiience. Hampton ; was prosecuted, and Mr. Selwyn Mays, ; in stating the ea.se. <::]■• that in making a written explanation, the accused said that the "No". 1" on the document was 1 intended for "Xot 1," and th.it the fol- ! lowing hieroglyph X's rmunt 'second-: class interpreter." Tliat nation, he thona;ht. made the matter wore*. ; TTamilton pleaded "finilty, and Mr. T>enniston, for him, stated that his work: was almost wholly that of interpreting in the (Maori Land Court, and he very I rarely did private conveyancing, so that: he was not aware of the offnw* , he was j committing in interpreting and witnessing the deed. His Worship said that if hp made a penalty commensurate with the possFWe ] serious resnlts that (low from , the defendant's act he would hirve to! impose a very heavy penalty. Tie did ; not want to do tiin't , thi- m« I the firs' time any =iifh c.ise had come i before him. but it hud In 1..' nindr quite I clear to drfenri.-int nrri to fvpn-nnf else I that an act of the kin.l Tii'jht have seriorrs results DefcpHnnt w-oiil.l li" ennvicte.l pnd finPrl £10 -m: «"'s A similar chn.r<7P anriin?t Thomas T"l7--man was adjourned =inf die.