NATIVE TRUSTS COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12892, 14 June 1905, Page 6

NATIVE TRUSTS COMMISSION.

EVIDENCE BY BISHOP VYALLIS. [BT TELEGRAPH.—OWN* CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington*, Tuesday. The Native Trusts Commission, recently appointed to inquire into educational trusts, is now sitting here, and will shortly move North to investigate matters in connection with certain lauds in the Waikato. To-day the Anglican Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Wallis). chairman of trustees of the I'orirua endowment, gave evidence regarding the position of the trusts at Porirua and Otaki. He said that first he would plead that time had not been given to test the efficiency of the scheme approved by the Supreme Court, for. though it was sanctioned in 1900. considerable uncertainty prevailed whether it would Ik* carried into effect until 1303. The application by Wi N'eera thai the property should be restored to the natives was dismissed only a few months ago. Secondly, there had been an. impression amongst the natives of Otaki and its neighbourhood that the Maoris in Wairarapa would benefit by their scheme. That impression was incorrect. At Clareville College there were now three scholars from the West Coast, two of them of the Ngatitoa tribe, who were supported by the Porirua trust, though none of them came from the neighbourhood of Otaki. His Lordship drew attention to the. fact that the donors.did not ask that the trust should be administered for the benefit of their own descendants. Even Europeans were to be admitted to its benefits, though this the Trustees did not desire. Thirdly, it would be extremely difficult, on account of the smalhiess of the funds, and 1 the difficulty of obtaining well-qualified teachers, to maintain efficiently two separate colleges —one on 'the East and one on the. West Coast. For these reasons he trusted that the Commissioners would see their way to recommend that, the present scheme should have a fair trial before it was superseded. Bishop Wallis said he had absolutely no k»:f wledge of the circumstances under which the lands were handed over. Respecting the Ngutilohs, Bishop Hadfield told witness, when witness first came here, that there were then only 13 Ngatitoas alive. In the judgment formulated by the Supreme Court recently, the executive was told to give preference to Xgatitoa boys. That preference was given at Clareville to two Wairarapa. bovs who were Ngatitoas. If, as alleged, these were not Ngatitoas, where were the Ngatitoas to come from'.' '"'

Mr. Stafford said there were Ngalitoas in, the South Island besides those at Otaki. Examined as to the religious nature of the Clareville School, Bishop Wallis s?id there was no right to exclude bovs of other denominations than Church of England No attempt to do so had been nwde. Boys who joined the school had been taught the Church of England doctrine, and no o'b.lection had been made. If objection was ever made the executive would have to «ive very careful consideration to the question. It was a point that had never vet been, ■awed, but the trust specificallly said that the furtherance of religion was its principal quSion. eXeCUt "' ° had flever I " Md «'° sa&'STt h} ] U ) Quick ' the bishop said he did not look upon the religious difficulty as an insuperable one IU, « IOUS m .Mr. Stafford interjects thai the natives Bishop Wallis said that until the Privy Council decision put them out of Court he Mr Stafford 'replied that the case was not that now. With only two exertion' the Ouk, nat.ves wished to have applied to purposes of education a" on lined m the .scheme .submitted by counsel

Captain P. J. Ewtber, R.X.. cashier at the head office of the Union Steam Ship Company, Duuedin, whoso retirement has been announced, took part in the Maori war early in the sixties. He was lieutenant on the.Avon when that vessel was despatched to attack the rebel position at Rangiriri, on November 20. 1863. For his services on that occasion lie was specially mentioned, and favourably noted by the Admiralty. He was also mentioned in military despatches for services rendered in New Zealand between February 2 and March 1, 1864. He has been with the Union Company for a period of about 20 yeais. Mr. G. Lambie, who also retires, way, prior to taking up the duties of branch manager of the company at t'iiristehurch, manager at Gisborne and Napier. Mr. T. W. Orr. one of (lie other retiring officers, and at present branch manager at Blenheim, was previously stationed at DunedLn and Wellington.