SHOAL BAY MAORIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 249, 20 October 1924, Page 8

SHOAL BAY MAORIS.

SQUATTING AT THE LAGOON. I NOTICE OF EVICTION I ! Mild excitement has prevailed lately i amongst the scoro of Maoris "squatting" jat the lßgoon at the head of Shoal Bay, jon the Northcote Bide of Takapuna, eon-If-erning notice thnt they muet not occupy ! the land later than to-day. The area ia I portion of the endowment of over 300 ■ ncres vested in the Unman Catholic ; Wshop of Auckland in thn earlier days !of the province for the benefit of native ! races in the South Pacific-. This was ten years ago leased to a syndicate, which purposed subdividing the'property j for residence sites. Difficult >\ however, was experienced from a 'number of natives domiciled in the vicinity () f the i lugnon. Most of the Maoris were eventi ually evicted, with their belongings, • some four yenrs ago by order of the Court, and thr-ir whares pulled down. Since that forcible ejection, it appears, half-a-dozen whares have bpi-n put up by 'other Maoris, who likewise claimed niiffstral right of occupation. Areas have been cultivated with potatoes, onions, and kumnrun, and half-a-dozen cows are depastured there. Here the Maoris dwell in native fashion. Cnsuccesßfiil nppenle have been made for Parliamentary intercession on thoir iM-half. Vestrrday a conference was held with Mr. If. W. I'm. tb? outcome of which, it i» understood, was that the member for the Southern Maori division undertook tn endeavour to get an extension of time, in order to allow the natives to gather their crops. If this were done, it was ennoidered, the Maoris would be quite content to leave at the end of any reasonable period assigned to allow of this.