A THORNY PROBLEM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2514, 15 December 1927, Page 5

A THORNY PROBLEM.

NATIVE LAND AND RATES. COUNTY COUNCIL’S TROUBLES. The recent action of the Aotea Land Board in passing ever to the Wanganui County Council control of the Mcrikau Farm Road, which has been the subject of considerable adverse comment on the part of members of the <lOllOOll, was mentioned at a meeting of the ’ Waitotara County Council recently by Mr. H. G. Gcldsbury. Mr. Golclsbury said that apparently counties could be practically compelled to take such reads over, and he thought they should have the power to make the owners of the land affected pay for the roading. “This is a very serious matter for county councils,”' he. said. “Are there two Maori ratepayers in our county who paid their rates last year?” The clerk (Mr. A. S. Dymock): Yes, there were two last year. Mr. Goldsbury: And how many Maori ratepayers are there on the roll? , . The clerk: About 150. (Laughter). Mr. Golclsbury maintained that the Government should come forward and help the counties. - . . The chairman (Mr. W. Morrison) stated that the matter had been brought under the Government s notice without result. The point was that much of the native land m the North Island was of very poor quality, but on the other hand native holdings in the Waitotara County were mostly good land. . . A member: We could seize their cows, but I suppose you’d find the dairy factories bad a lien on them. (Laughter). Mr. E. Parsons: The general experience when these things are raised is that the land never belongs to the Maori —it is always his wife’s cr his son’s or daughter’s —anyone s but is own, in fact. . The clerk (Mr. A. S. Dymock) mentioned the experience of the Waitomo County Council, which had spent £llOO in an endeavour to get native rates in, for a return of only then lapsed, the matter of native rates being left to the chairman, members ol the Waitotara riding, and the clerk. Wanganui Chronicle.