The Public Trustee's Visit to the Coast

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2397, 8 April 1893, Page 3

The Public Trustee's Visit to the Coast

I The Pablio Trustee is reported by an f- eye-witness of some ot his meetings to have been reoeiyed, on his visit the other. day, by the Natives with every sign of confidence and satisfaction. The meeting at Rafaotu took plaoe in the large wbare of Tekahui, where the asßembled Natives reolined on mats of flax, and the visitors I?we provided with seats. The welcome Of Te Rabui, where the assembled nalivea ' reclined on matß ol flax, and the visitors, ' were provided with seats. Tbe welcome of Te Kabui wbb imprßßßive. Then .'followed his le6Otiption of the lands "in whiph he and bis people were interested, and his relation of thbir past fears and present hopes— past fears thai no Government administration of their property could be to their real interests, and present hopes that these fears had!fi|istwfisßipated. He went on to ' explain ttii«P§^flfrtb B had not met tbe Pdblic 1 3&»&&*ffl^» ue nai oeai d & report ja^ipa|tPid at the meetings at ottier^la^K'aOTftfiat there was con- ' fideoce^te^Uej)e|>pl§,in the adminiß- " J ration Kb one wbioht to receive their B»ort; and >ie,.erMlphiß openirig Bpeeoh m a reference to uta^^n which ' be pointed out, with a P re °"Wo^^^ must fiave been the result of ihongbt.'what lands it might be desirable to lease, and those whioh should in hiß opinion* be reserved for the occupation of the Natives. Jhe;PabHo Trustee followed with an lanftion of the provisions of tbe law, ♦fnie obligation to see that tbe property of the Natives should be so administered that the lands wbioh had lam idle, unoccupied and unproductive for many years, to tbe detriment as well of the Natives as of the district generally, Should be dealt with in such a manner that neither the Natives, nor their children could complain that the property bad been neglected. He was not, he said, required by law to consult the Natives, bat he felt that as they were directly and most deeply interested in the result of the administration, they could render most valuable advice and assistance, and the Bpeeoh whioh he had heard from Te Kahoi, and the speeches at the meetings which had already taken place, had, he said, convinced him that he had judged rightly ; and he would carry out their reasonable wishes. The impatience which they were already exhibiting to see their lands offered should, he reminded them, be restrained ; for some little time would bo required lot the inspection of the lands and for the surveys and the lying off of |be necessary roadß. Ajad then he deloribed the provision wbioh the Governmen*, he thought, contemplated for the more satisfactory occupation by the Natives of tbe lands which were to be reserved for their own use and residenoe. tTbis was that each Native iamily should have the right to obtain a perpetual lease of bo much of that iamily's ebare of tbe reserves as the Public Trustee thought reasonable. The rental was to be computed on the value of the land, but would not be paid so long as the family to whom tbe rental would go retained the leasehold. All that would be expected of theße native leaseholders would be that they should pay the rateß and takes, fencß and observe the terms ' and conditions of their leases. If, it was explained, the lessees should make no provision for these rates, taxes, &0., and should not be in reoeipt of rent from Which they could be paid, it would be necessary that they should resign of their leasehold a part which would then yield Wthe iamily, as the owner of tbe portion of reserve forming the leasehold, the neces. -j aary means. This proposal was readily W understood, and so exoited were the natives fa approbation of it, tbafcifc was communicated by the meeting to those who were not pxeßeni ; and along the road and at (he following meetings, the natives who had not heard tbe proposal from the lips of tbe Pablio Traßtee himself pressed for a confirmation of it. It was very interesting to obßerve tbe joyim feeling whioh was aroused within them as they understood that they and their families would be granted a tenancy of their land whioh would last for ever— ake, ake, ake. The nativeß had, no doubt, that they would find the email amount necessary 10 pay their rates and taxes, and preserve a property wbioh they could deal with, not in common, but according to theii own ideas, «nd like the pakeha. A meeting at Stony Eiver took place the following day. The attendance was large, and tbe natives, all well dressed, were very earnest. This meeting was as satisfactory ac that at Bahotu, and the chiefs who accompanied tha Pablio Trustee explained that they themselves did not speaK, because tbe meeting was entirely with the Pablio Trastee— that the meeting was like, aa they put it, a coach whiob, taking the right road, did not require their direodon.

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