NATIVE LAND LEASES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 274, 4 November 1916, Page 6

NATIVE LAND LEASES.

A CASE OF DUMMYISM. A case of dummyism in connection with leases of Maori lands was brought to light at Levin on Monday last, when the application of Rowland Russell for the confirmation of four leases and for the calling of a meeting of native owners to considei a proposal for a fifth lease came be- • fore the Ikoroa Board for confirmation. Under examination, the applicant admitted that his proper name is Francis Roland Russell, as appears in the electoral roll; that he is not a farmer, as stated in the declararation, but is a shepherd on the McDonald estate, getting £2 a week wages, with an annual bonus ; that he made arrangements with the native owners, nor gave any instructions to a local solicitor to apply for a meeting of assembled owners, as he did not- know what such an expression meant. He had acted under the instructions of Lindsay' McDonald, and had signed the leases as lessee and made the declarations at his request. He did not sign two declarations w’hich are singed “Rowland Russell’' in the presence of a local solicitor, nor die he sign any' declaration before the solicitor in question. The two declarations were forgeries, and the hand-writing was not his. Lindsay McDonald, on oath, ad roitted that Russell was acting as a “dummy” for him. Russell was tc obtain the leases and transfer to him He had given Mr. Park, solicitor, instructions to prepare the leases and to make an application for a meeting of assembled owners. He was not barred from applying in his owr. name, but for family reasons he made use of an employee on the estate. The president of the boardfJudgrGilfedder) caustically commented on the action of both McDonald and Russell, and refused confirmation in each case, as the applications were not made in good faith. —X.Z. Times.