THE MOKAU LEASES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1022, 11 January 1911, Page 4

THE MOKAU LEASES.

OFFER BY MR, HERMAN LEWIS, J

(By TeleeraDh.—Special Correfluondent-l Auckland, January 10. ; At a special sitting, of the Nativl Lands Court at Te Kuiti the chief busi4 ness was to obtain the consent of Native! owners to a purchase of the Mokau-Moha-j katino block by Mr. Herman Lewis,...of\ Wellington. Sir. .Skerrett, K.C., with! him Mr.' Dalziell, both of represented, the applicant, while Mr.' Lewis and Mr. Tuiti Macdonald appeared on behalf of those Native owners who objected to the proposals. The land in question has been the subject of much litigation in the Law Courts of New Zealand, and also of England. Mr. Herman Lewis now seeks to acquire tho whole of the Native interests in the block, with a condition that the to consider his position, seeing ho has 38 more years to rim. as lessee. He offers the Natives ,£25,000 for the whole of the Hokau Block, which is valued at the present time at .£32,(100. by the Government. ■ Some of the Natives interested consented before the board tc< Mr. Lewis's application, which was objected to by those' for whom Mr. T. Macdonald appeared. . The matter was argued at considerable : length, anij eventually the Dresident of the board' de-r cided to adjourn further consideration! to enable as. many, of the Native owners; as possible to be present at the nexil board meeting.' ' „ '' : According to the feeling of the interested; the matter may be moved td; the Supreme Court to . test the validity 1 of all "the leases issued to Mr. . Joshua 1 Jones. ' V '_ ■ .