MAORI AFFAIRS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22358, 23 March 1938, Page 8

MAORI AFFAIRS

TO THE EDITOR 09 THR PRESS. Sir, —The newspapers • have supplied us with much information about the wonderful Maori buildings, Te Mahina-a-rangi and Turohgo, at Ngaruawahia, and the fulfilment of a prophecy made 70 years ago by the chief Tawhiao by the return of his descendant to the old capital of the Maori, Waikato. The title Maori King is usually qualified by the South Island Maori as the Waikato King. That is just a comment by the way. The legality of the confiscation of Ngaruawahia lands by the New Zealand Government of that day as a reprisal on the Waikato Maoris for their part of taking up arms against the Government was questioned by many well-informed pakehas of those days. The Government heeded a large sum to make good its financial position after the conclusion of the war. How many know that a Maori chieftainess named Tamati, whose family had remained loyal, stood up at the sale of the Ngaruawahia lands when the auctioneer, Samuel Cochrane, proceeded with his selling instructions, and objected to the proceedings, clearly defining her rights in intelligent Maori language, and giving the land boundaries, the Waipa and Horotiu rivers. The land sold on September, 27, 1864, brought £l5O an acre, a total realisation to the Government of £8350. Will the settlement of the just Ngai Tahu claim in the South Island be made in accordance with the Royal Commission of 1921? The conference with the Government by Ngai Tahu delegates has passed by. Still there is an ominous silence. Why? A good deal was made months ago about a water supply for the Little River Maoris. ‘Another summer has about passed by, and nothing has been done for Wairewa pa. This deficient water question has about as long a period of being as the existence of many members on the Wairewa County Council—certainly as far back as the days of the Little River Road Board of 1912. There is the matter of flooding at Little River. When is the main stream to be attended to? I would point out that a part of the Wairewa native land, namely, the Rora Tawha. block, was once good dry land until half-hearted efforts were made by the local authority to deal with creek flooding there. Again, I should like to know that the rights of the Maori feeling and fishing rights) on Lake Forsyth in connexion with the drainage scheme are properly guarded m compliance with Article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi in good solid black and white. . William Rolleston, once Native Minister, made this comment; “If the natives could see that their reserves were removed from outside interference they would feel that what had taken place in the past would not take place again, namely, that by one act after-another the powers of retaining had been set aside.” The old Canterbury Provincial Government passed an act conferring on itself the beds of Lake Forsyth and Ellesmere below high water mark. Where does the Waitangi Treaty come in? The Maori people themselves will have to get a live Parliamentary representative to Oght their <*f XyL 08 . March 22, 1938.