TAUMARUNUI TENURES.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 63, 14 March 1919, Page 7

TAUMARUNUI TENURES.

DISCUS-ED BY NATIVES. SUGGESTED GOVERNMENT PURCHASE. (By Telegraph—.Press Association.! TAUMARUNUI, Thursday. The meeting of native owners of property in the Taumarunui borough, which was adjourned owing to the epidemic, was held to-day, aud the matter of obtaining freehold in the town was advanced a step. Mr. E. P. Earle, registrar of the Waikato and Maniapoto Maori Land Board, presided. Mr. J. F. Strang appeared on behalf of the eight applicants for the freehold of properties, chiefly in the main street. Judge MacCormick advised the natives to offer the whole of the native township to the Government, and the owners seemed unanimously in favour of doing this. Judge MacCormick said he was concerned because the township rents were being absorbed by taxation, and there would be practically no revenue for the natives for the next ten years. On the other hand, if they sold to the Government for, say. £70.000, and invested the money in interest-bearing debentures, it might bring £3.000 a y-ear. At present the Maori paid half taxes on land occupied by Europeans, and no taxation on land occupied by himself. The European was not satisfied with this, and the Maori might have to pay more taxes in future. Rangi Whskateka. of Wanganui, stated that when the natives wanted to sell the township the Government offered only -.43.000, and the natives' interest was j worth £Sfi,ooo. Judge MacCormick said he was doubtful if the Government would now- give them their own full valuation of £70,000, because there would be a considerable loss in the difference between the rents and the interest on the capital required. The meeting was adjourned to allow | the natives to discuss the situation, and. ;on resuming, it was apparent that while they were in favour of selling the whole town to the Government, they wanted first to deal •'•ith the eight applicants referred to. After a short discussion it was resolved that six of the sections anp'ied for should be sold at the present 1 Government valuation of the native own* ! ers' interest in the unimproved value. The total value of the properties was £0.769. The Taumarunui Borough Council has ' already spent about £35.000 on improvements. The council is at present preI parin_ for a poll on a proposal to raise a further £51.000 for borough works.