MAORIS AND THE LAND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 November 1928, Page 7

MAORIS AND THE LAND.

THE CONFISCATION COMMISSION

RECOAIAIENDATIONS APPROVED

There lias for a long time been a feeling amongst the Alaoris that compensation should be given for the lands which, were confiscated during the war;s of the middle of last century. Therefore, when the commission set' up by the Reform Government at the instance of the, Prime Minister made its recommendations proposing compensation they were approved by the bulk of the people. But to the old men of the race the appeal of the actual land, with its mountain, its lakes, and its other natural features was very strong in their breasts, and they felt, that these were more important'. more fitting, than any money payment. This feeling was voiced by more than one speaker at the great Te AVliiti anniversary gathering at Ketemarae on Sunday. “Give us our mountain,” said one of the elders. “We want that, not the money.” No money, in the opinion of the old chief, could compensate for the loss of the peak Taranaki. Just in the same way the tribes of the Waikato, in whose land were Lake ITaupo and Lake Rotorua, insisted that they must be given the lakes of their forefathers. They, however, agreed to accept an annual payment, with the condition that, if the revenue of the lakes realised more than the ■stated sum, they should have a halfshare in that surplus. Now, as the, result of the discussion® ancl the arguments put forward by Taito te Tomo, the envoy of Sir Maui ' Pomare, who was present at Keternarae on Sunday, and of the Rev. Robert Haddon and his son, who attended both on Sunday and on Monday, those who were, assembled at the pa, were convinced that the recommendations of the commission were just and generous, and that they as far as was possible righted the wrongs of the past. At the beginning of the conference at Ketemaae all the elders, harking back to the days of Sir George Grey and the Waitnra land troubles, insisted that the land must be returned to thorn. They argued that the commission had agreed the war was unjust. and that, in spite thereof, a huge area of land from White Cliffs to Waitotara had been taken from their fathers. The payment of money was as nothing compared to the land taken, their birthright, and so the argument waxed hot and, strong. ( • A remarkable influence was exerted j by Taito te Tomo. Beginning in the j picturesque oratorical fashion of the okl-time Maori, with a chanted song, I he urged them that there was no need to worry about the payment; it would lie made whatever Government was in power in New Zealand, so long as they had Sir Maui Pomare and Sir A piran a Ngata to look after their interests. He added that the words and prophecy of the great Te,AVliiti were now fulfilled, for he had said, “a, son of AVaitara will he needed to putright the AVaitara troubles.” So it turned out, for Pomare was a sou of AVaitara, and under his guidance the wrongs were being righted. Taito was strongly supported by Rangihuna, who urged that “a bird in the hand was worth two in the, bush,” and a half loaf was better than none.” He said he was much pleased that this big effort had been made to right the wrongs of the past. Rev R. Haddon commended the Prime Minister (lit. Hon. J. G. Coates) for his work in setting up the commission and in dealing ■until petitions that dated back to the times of. Grey and Bell. No conclusion was reached on Sunday. and once more on Alondav the courtyard was filled, all intent on one object. To Mr. Haddon and liis son must be given credit for convincing the chiefs. They said that the members’ of the commission had, in spite of all outside influence, decided that the war had been unjust and that compensation must be paid. They had recommended the payment of £SOOO per annum. They had admitted their countrymen of 60 odd years ago had done wrong, and were doing their best to right that wrong. Then the elders were couviii-od, ami they agreed to the proposal that tin’s sum should he held in trust for the good of the Alaoris of the area involved, to. improve the conditions, so that their welfare generally might he’ guarded. They should, a® had been the- ease round Taupo and Rotorua, improve their dwellings and equip the pas in conformity with modern ideas, build 1 a hospital, and equip it with Alnori doctors andi nurses, and so give the people the same treatment as the Europeans.