NATIVES UNDERPAID

Evening Star, Issue 22351, 29 May 1936, Page 14

NATIVES UNDERPAID

PURCHASE OF ROTORUA TOWNSHIP JUDGE RECOMMENDS EX GRATIA PAYMENTS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, May 28. That tho Rotorua Natives were underpaid by the Crown when the site of this tourist resort was bought from them 50 years ago is the conclusion of tho Chief Judge of the Nativo_ Land Court, whoso report of tho special investigation of Natives’ petitions to Parliament on this subject was tabled in the House to-day by the Native Minister. A number of Maoris interested in certain areas at Rotorua which were leased to Europeans under the management of tho Crown, also complained in the petition that there had been neglect in collecting rents. Tho Chief Judge, in a lengthy report, comes to the conclusion that both grievances have some reality, and ho recommends that in respect to tho allegedly inadequate payment for Rotorua township site, although there is no legal redress in respect of this 60-year-old transaction, the Crown should make a payment of £4,000 and another payment of £3,155 in respect of rentals of leases to Europeans which the Crown failed to collect during the depression period by releasing tenants from their contract without the Natives’ authority.

Detailing the history of tbe Rotorua purchase, the report shows that in 1888 the Surveyor-General reported to the Government that the land was of little or no value for agricultural and pastoral purposes, but the hot springs gave prospective value to the block. Jn the expectation that it would become a great resort in the future, he advised the then Government that the block was worth 30s to 40s an acre. The Natives in 1899 made an offer to sell 3,200 acres for £15,000. There was a depression prevailing, and the district had not recovered from the effects of the Tarawera earthquake. The opinion of the court, expressed in the present report, is that £5 an acre would not have been an unreasonable price, but tho purchase was eventually made at £9.138. or £4.000 less than” the court's estimate. It therefore recommends an ex gratia payment to the Natives of the latter sum. The court points out that Rotorua township was laid out in 1882, and when leases for 99 years were submitted to auction there was a rush for them, and rentals totalling £2,750 per annum were secured bv tbe Crown.