A BLOCK OF GREENSTONE.

Mataura Ensign, 22 January 1915, Page 5

A BLOCK OF GREENSTONE.

T*ER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. AUCKLAND. .Jan. .21. 'Mr Cutteii, -S.IM., gave judgment; today .at .the Magistrate’s Court in a case .heard before Christinas ,in which Henare Kailiau sued Mere Paora for possession of a block of greenstone of theestimated value of £‘loo and also for £■2s, damages Tor alleged! wrongful 'detention.- of same. Interest centres in this, case because defendant presented the greenstone - to Captain _ Halsey, of H.M.s. New Zealand. , When- it was claimed by Henare Kaihan it was ieffc in charge of the Mayor of Auckland pending settlement of the dispute. iM'r Cut-ten. said that the claim was To.- the possession of a block of greenstone weighing 17.51b and apparently greatly primi. Plaintiff and defendant were /bpthi Maoris of high rank. The mere bad been in possession of defendant and her -father for a. great many years. It had ibeen presented to- another • Maori chief and ultimately returned. At the time of the visit of iH.M.-s. New Zealand to Auckland Mere Paora presented the block of greenstone to Captain Halsey. Plaintiff limn claimed the greenstone and notice was given to Captain ‘Halsey. If was then arranged to leave the greenstone in the possession, of the Mayor of Andkland. Ivlr Cntten added, ‘ I think it may be taken that no Maori of the rank of defendant would have risked reflection upon the good name of the Maori race by presenting any afitcle which did nofc belong*to her. At most, therefore, the presentation must have been made un-. tier misapprehension. In .the circum-stances-it is very unfortunate that- Cantain Halsey was brought into the matter. One would have thought it more in accord with the traditions of the 'Maori race that a Maori of high .rank -would acquiesce in the presentation, even if a mistake hid been made, rathe]" than that reflection should he .cast upon the whole native race. It would, too. have accorded well with Maori sentiment that the greenstone should be with the battleship New Zealand while she -was doing her duty in file present -war. However, If Kaihan considered be had). legal rights he -was no doiibt entitled to take steps to enforce his rights.” His Worship then reviewed the evidence at some length. It was clear, the judgment proceeded, that plaintiff’s account of the matter was unsatisfactory. He had left the stone in the hands of other people for 23 years without making any claim for. .its possession. Although ho said he left it in Paora*s possession merely for safe keening he did not claim it on Pa ora’s death. Further, it was' to be noted that if plaintiff’s story was true Paora Tnhanore was guilty of extremely dishonorable conduct in that the 'stone which he held in trust for Henare Kaihan he gave to his young daughter. Whatever-fault the native -character might 'have it wag extremely difficult to believe that (Maoris of the rank of these men would act in a way that would be dishonorable in, the eyes of their own people. Mr Cutten concluded, “I am satisfied that the history of the stone given by defendant is a true one,' and' that at- the time of the presentation to Captain Halsey the stone was defendant’s property. Judgment io for defendant,- -with eosts.” The |-stone is now to he sent on to Captain Halsey,