MAORI LAND CLAIM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19659, 10 June 1927, Page 12

MAORI LAND CLAIM.

INTEREST IN LARGE BLOCK. ACTION AFTER MANY YEARS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE KUITI, Thursdnp. * The hearing of an important land clsim was continued in the Native Land Coiurt to-day, before the Judge, Mr. C. E. McCormick. The case concerns a block of about 2000 acres, known as the Kaipaha block, a large portion of which is held by European lessees The claimants, for whom Mr. T. <S. Withers, of Auckland, is appearing, allege that when the title of the block wjis investigated in 1886 their ancestor wsas wrongly excluded. The claimants' ancestor was a supporter of "King" Tlawhiao, and was led to believe that the land would eventually be returned to hi;m after the Europeans were "driven into the sea." There are at present 36 Maori owngrs of the block, descendants of those to whom the block was awarded 40 yeavs ago, and they have had undisturbed parssession since that time. In his opening address Mr. Withers neferred to the belief of the "King's" porters that the Court had no real jurisdiction to deal with native lands, and that ultimately ail such lands would 3be returned to the Maoris. As a result of these beliefs the present claimants had until recently taken no steps to assart their rights, and then found that they were barred by Statute from making any claim to the interest in the block of which their ancestor was deprived. Mr. Withers said that a petition was presented to Parliament last session an behalf of the claimants, and, as a result, legislation was passed enabling the Native Land Court to reinvestigate the whoLe position, with a view to ascertaining whether the plaintiffs should be awarded the large interest now claimed. The present leases of various portions of the block would not, however, be detrimentally affected by the success of the present claim. ' Evidence taken yesterday was directed to show that one of the ancestors of the present claimants, one # Here Mokena, should, according to native custom, have been awarded a half interest in the Kaipiha block of 2000 acres: that Here Mokena, being a strong supporter of the then Maori "King'' Tawhiao, refrained from attending the sitting of the Court in Otorohanga in 1886, when the title to the block was investigated. At this sitting the existence of Here Mokena and his right to an interest in the block was not disclosed to the Court, which awarded the whole block to the family of one Ripeka Tangi Turner. Mr. Withers contended that the claimants were entitled to the interest to which Here Mokena was entitled, although, if the claim were upheld special legislation would probably bo necessary to deal with the matter. The case was not concluded.