THE ROTORUA NATIVES AND THE RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6963, 12 March 1884, Page 5

THE ROTORUA NATIVES AND THE RAILWAY.

A correspondent ab Rotorua sends as a letter which has been transmitted by the. natives of that district to the directors of the railway. In doing so, our correspondent says :—" The natives now appear anxious to deal with the company, providing the Government will stand aside oat of the matter altogether. They one and all express a firm determination not to allow the Government to interfere in any shape whatever in any of their lands. In order to expedite matters the company had better Btep in at once, and arrange directly with them. There is no other way for it." The following is a translation of the letter : —

Ohinomutu. 3rd March. ISS4- To the directors of the W&ik&to Railway to Rotorua. Friends, greeting,— Ngati whakaue did not consent to let the Government have 20,000 acres, because this is all the land we possess—that Is, wo object to let it go altogether from our hands, lest we suffer and our children after us. Bat if the director* coald devise eom* other way by which we could utilise the land between us for our mutual benefit, we are willing to go into tho matter. It is our desire that we. Maori®, should reap some benefit out of our land, &s well as you Europeans, then neither of us shall *ufTer ; you, by losincr your money; onus by losing our land. There are 4000 acres outside the thermal boundary, which some hapus of Ngatiwhalcaue are trying to dispose of to the Government officers, but the majority of the tribe are against selling this to the Government. Eoded. From the K»toa, Ngititunohopu, Ngatipukakl. Ngatirangiwaho, Jfatlhurunga, Ngatihaeotu, Ngatinika.