GREYMOUTH RESERVE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 686, 10 December 1909, Page 11

GREYMOUTH RESERVE.

:, ?HOTjLD; IS , ATiy.E: LEASES 'BE .SOLD f ; ; .' '. The; fact-that; the-greater part 6f 'the town' of Grcyuiouth 'is-, held on lease from Ntttivo .oM'ners has several times been brought , up in the; House. , of 'I%l'Escntatives'as .a great disadvantage -to the.!town, ;and:.numerous peti-. tioris.iiavebeeii I'onvnrded. , to Parliament asking ■': that /provision , , should , be -'made, for'- the purchase of-this •land, which' -is at- present a Native ■-.;reserve;,/ The,,aiatter.. was brought: to lihead'cinWeduesday by. the' report of tho Native Affairs,. Committee, i?hich--'irecommended that 'the r Goyernnient'should, purchase" the ■' Grey-, lnpath. reserve',- if-the Native , owners/were willing,'.'and' 'sell .the the jiresent-occu-piers, .on the.freehold' tenure.,' This however, :,wos.'ftbjcctioiiable to', the leasehold I section: of'.the. .House, who oontriv.cd .to "talk out" ..the report,':with the: result-, that no 'motipn?\vas put, and'the matter cannot now oomo : up" again.-v- , ..;.';: : ; ..■.■■','.■.■■ :' : '~'■■ /■;••'■■■■' ".•'■..,[ : ■,-:'■ ■fhe ;,Hoii. A. ininoving that.'the report, shpuld be .'■ laid, on the Stable ,of the House, said. that;.., , th'e..axerage' rent, per: :an■num derived from the reserve for the last 30 years /.was. ;.■ jSM6I.-.":/. The.; lSesees, wore; taking ... : up v .'•". a•'.. ,-legitimate./', .and., .'reasonable .attitude, , ; ; and it .had. nowhere }\ been,' sug'that 'the;.freehold 'shouldi-'.be-' acquired compulsorily, or; ovor'the heads of. the bene-. fioidries by direct;treaty.with the Public Trustee.- The , Bast .C.pasi ; -Natires"bßd i 'taken;up. the position.: that •tMf,ySft-riot*Hffiit?to"sell'.''Grey-' mouth, which, tliey was.a good-.asset. For ;21;years' they-'.hail been: waiting for an increase in tho -value of their, assets, and;now profit.by/whatever.benefit might accrue, espir/'b!. , the leases;; ;The pro-pdsal,'of..the-committeev'was"that -.the '.land should be'/acquired--iit' the'"present ' the market value, but. the valuo put on a portion of the reserve', c for'taxation , purposes.; ; His bbjectioh to the : report ;was that the< committee further' thdii was necessary, or than the petitioners had■ asked.'' There had.been ho suggestion/before the : committee that the Govr ermneht itself Should, enter into, treaty .'.with any.beneficiaries. ■ He' thought' that.'the treaty, ir:favour'ably''considered at.all-, should be ,bo-■tweea-i tho , lessees;:, as.represented by the: bor- 1 oughfof Greymouth, : and; tho'Publio Trusteo,' with tho'consent'of the beneficiaries. :.-.. . .-■■■-, Mr.: Herries-(Tauranga) did not agree-that the-Teport wen.t : further ..than the .petitions, asked.-: If the.-land' was \to ■ be- bought,. the 'Crown, .was a. better;agent : ; for .conducting the Negotiations than tie borough.. Ho believed; it would be.to the interests'of-the.Natives to sell; as : the rents had'-apparently-: reached , ■'their maximum. , ■ If the Natives did not desire to' sell .the recomriiendatibn'of the-.committee fell to the ground; '. ,■■'■..... ■ •'-> . ■ -.','■,' , :The vHon: , E." M'Kenzie said' tho -Native''reserve had always been a'drawback to:the town, thought-it would ,be k> tho advantage of ■the Natives , to:sell/and certainly it-wmhv be better-'for- the Europeans. v Thb.borough of Mptueka,' also,;was:nliuost entirely a Native ieserve, i and,'"Parliament ''■■. should the question generally ..with reference. to. .Mptueka and other ( boroughs in a-.like position', as -well. :as Greyinouth; ~;V.^":'; : V:: J .v, '~.;'"■;.;';■■. . Mr. T. Parata.urged,that tho.fre-shold rights of 'the ownersvin'this.land, should, be. preserved for all time. -He moved ah amendment that ithe":matter' be referred to. the Government for inquiry. ' Hβ was ■' certain that none, of>- the. .■Maoris would over agree .to sell. • ';• _~ '~_, ,_ 'After ''-further ; „' the-' Hon. J. Carroll said : that -seeing/- that the-".Na-:-tives- objected--to' .the- Bale-, , .their '...-'.wishes, should be -respected. A- promise' had originally been made to,tho Natives that the land should remain in their hands and pass down to .their descendants.- It was a promise which/could only be broken-'at the. wish of tho Natives.,. '•■' Uponi .tho' matter .being put,to the.vote, the, amendmeht\was.]6st/on i the voices.-.- r. , .-, ; 'When the .'Speaker, ealled .for. a yote on : the. motion, Dr. Buck rose to speak, but .as the time for adjournment had;arrived, the: Speaker left the: chair, so the motion; ,was.'talked out : and cannot now.'come.lip again.- ~/.';'■" ; .'