MAORI SHREWDNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 107, 4 May 1912, Page 5

MAORI SHREWDNESS.

SELLING THE ORAKEI BLOCK WANT THE BIGGEST PRICE. IN AN OPEN MARKET. The special committee set up to consider the proposal to purchase the Orakei block for the city of Auckland met in the Mayor's room at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. There were present his Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) and Messrs. J. Court and ,T. M. Mennie (City Council), J. H. Guuson (Harbour Board), O. Nicholson (Mt. Eden Borough Council), and G. Elliot (Chamber of Commerce). The Mayor reported that certain natives had called upon him and stated that steps were being taken by a certain legal firm to purchase portions of Orakei from the natives in the interest of private individuals. Some natives had actually signed transfers and had received cash deposits in respect of certain areas of land. Messrs. Earl and Kent, who, it was understood, were acting for the purchasers referred to, had stated, when approached on the matter, that they were acting for their clients in the ordinary course of business, and were unable to communicate the desires and intentions of their clients. The members of the committee deprecated the action that had been taken in respect of Orakei, and the Mayor was asked to point out to Messrs. Earl and Kent that, in the well-known circumstances of the City Council's endeavours to acquire the Orakei property, the only inference left was that an attempt was now being made to purchase portions of the property ahead of the City Council. The committee decided to instruct, the City Solicitor (Mr. T. Cotter, K.C.) to take action, with regard to transactions alleged to have already been entered into between private individuals and the Maoris. The Mayor was also requested to communicate with the Minister for Native Affairs (Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald). and, if necessary, to proceed to Wellington next week, with a view ' to taking prohibitory measures to frustrate what was considered to be an attempt to anticipate the city in the purchase of Orakei lor a model suburb. The Mayor, in a statement made to the Press after the meeting, said that he was exceedingly surprised at what had taken place. Everyone in Auckland, he ' pointed out, knew the position. Last November he went to Wellington and saw Sir Joseph Ward, who recommended that a special bill should be put through Parliament to enable the city to acquire Orakei as a model suburb. This had appeared in the papers, and everyone knew of it. Less than a fortnight ago the Hon. A. M. Myers had renewed Sir . Joseph Ward's undertaking to facilitate ■. legislation in the interests of the citizens. Notwithstanding all this, certain persons, whose names their solicitors declined to disclose, bad decided to get in before the city to try to acquire the estate. It was fortunate, Mr. Parr • stated in conclusion, that the position , had been discovered at this early stage. , MAORI OWNERS VISIT THE MAYOR. ; NOT LIKELY TO BE TAKEN IN. This morning a deputation of Maori landowners of Orakei waited upon th? Mr-yor to discuss the position with him. There "were nine present, and it was explained that they represented a large proportion of the shareholders in the Orakei block. Mr. Ngapipi Reweti acted as interpreter, and a most satisfactory interview resulted, so far as mutual understanding of the position was concerned. The Mayor expressed his pleasure at seeing the Maori owners present. It was the proper thing, he said, that they should come to see the Mayor about this matter. "As you know," Mr. Panwent on to say, "the City Council, representing the citizens, has" a scheme for the purchase of Orakei, and I am very pleased to meet you to discuss that matter now. The citizens would like to ' know your desires. I will explain what is in the mind of myself and the City Council. We would iike to buy Orakei to keep for all the people of Auckland. We desire to make it what the pakeha calls "a model suburb"—a beautiful place with fine parks and streetsthe most beautiful place in Auckland. I ask you, because you, too, are citizens of Auckland, whether that would not be better than letting it get into the hands of the private pakeha speculator. The ' speculator will go to you and try to buy at a low price so as to resell in smaller lots, and so make every penny he can for himself. He will not consider your in- - terest or the interest of the city, but he will consider only the interest of his own pocket. Surely, then, if the Orakei Maori is to sell his land it will be better if I the white people should own this beauti- | ful property. The City Council wish to 'give a fair price for the property: we would like to talk with you soon about ' the price. It may 'be that we shall be ' able to agree, but. if not, I would suggest that you appoint somebody, we appoint somebody, and the Government - somebody, and that these three arrive at a fair price. After that the City Council must submit the price agreed upon to the ratepayers, who would have ' to say whether tbey would agree to the price or not. I have no doubt that if a fair price can be agreed upon, the citizens will also agree, but the law is that the citizens must be consulted before any final arrangement is made. To do all this a special bill will need to be put through Parliament; the Government is willing to help, and it, should be done quite easily during the winter. I have told you everything regarding this matter. I hope you will help the city to get this property rather than help the private speculator. It has been said. 'Kapai the open market" —that the open market is the beet thing. But is it the open market for the speculator to go quietly down to your place and acquire the property? There is no open price about that. He. wants the property from you in order to sell it to us at a higher price. Why should you not sell it to the city at a fair price, and not deal through the private speculator at all? We. don't want him. When I speak of the private speculator. I speak in a general way, and not with reference to any particular person. Anybody who comes between us now we regard as interfering in our 'business." The Mayor concluded by inviting the Maori landowners to talk the matter over among themselves, and to meet him again in about a fortnight's time, j Mr. Watene Taut-ari. who was introduced to the Mayor as the biggest owner I in Orakei. speaking through the inter- : prefer, expressed appreciation of the Mayor's courtesy in receiving them and | explaining the position to them so clear- 1 lv with regard to the price and the idea j the City Council lad m Tier. Hit own 1

desire, he said, was to have an open sale. He agreed with all that the Mayor had said, and was not willing that their lands should he tied down by any private individual. He wanted the biggest price they could get, and he had not dealt with nor did he intend to deal with any private speculator. Mr. Reweti also expressed opinions similar to those held by Mr. Watene Ta-utari, and these were endorsed by all present. It was definitely stated that if the price were satisfactory the owners would prefer to deal with the City Council for the citizens rather than with private individuals.