A GENEROUS GIFT.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15746, 13 November 1916, Page 3

A GENEROUS GIFT.

« MAORI OWNERS TO MAORI SOLDIERS.

At Wellington, on Friday Chiefs of the Ngati-Tnhareijoa tribe and subtribes—To Hiraka Pine, Te Heuheu Tukino, and Topia Kingi, and Chieftainess Ngaliiua—waited on the Native Minister (Hon. W. H. Herries), the Acting-Minister of Lands (Sir Francis Bell), and the Hon. Dr. Pomare, with tie magnificent offer of 30,000 acres of land in the Ohaokoa block (between Taihape and Napier) for settlement by returned Maori soldiers. The gift, it was explained, was intended to be unconditional, and irresspeotive of the tribes to which the returned Maori soldiers belong. The deputation urged the Ministers to use expedition in transferring the title of the land from the Maori owners to the Crown, and the Hon. W. H. Herries. in replying, gave an assurance that that would be done. "At the same time, he said that the Government accepted the offer in the spirit in which it was made, and would lose no time in calling a meeting of owners to pass the necessary resolutions to complete the transaction. Mr Herries added that when he received notice of the generous offer he at once informed his Excellency the Governor, in order that he might convey to the Kinn; the good news, and also the fact that the Maoris were not only contributing their sons to the maintenance of the Empire, bnt also contributing land, as tney had done in this case, for the use of those of their sons who were fortunate enough to return to the Dominion.