INVOLVED ISSUES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22991, 19 March 1938, Page 17

INVOLVED ISSUES

CONFISCATED LANDS CLAIMS BY MAORI TRIBES STATEMENT BY MINISTER NO HASTY SETTLEMENT [BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] NGARUAWAHIA, Friday Steps taken in recent weeks toward the ultimate settlement of claims by many native tribes for compensation for confiscated and other alienated lands were explained by the acting-Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. I. Langstone. in the course of an address in the Ngaruawaliia pa this afternoon, when he met the younger chiefs and others to discuss matters of interest to the Maori people. The Minister gave an outline of the work done at three recent meetings in Wellington between representatiyes of various tribes and representatives of the Government for the purpose of considering individual compensation claims. He stated that before any action could be taken it was necessary for all the claims to be brought under review and considered together and in relation to one another. Mr. J. Rukutai, of Auckland, expressed thanks to the Minister for his explanation, but said that the tribal representatives wished for some indication of the date when the claims would bo settled and of the order in which they would be dealt with. Mr. Langstone, in reply, read a long list of claims and remarked that was not the whole number. The sum involved, he said, was enormous. One claim alone amounted to £350,000, and extraordinarily intricate questions were involved. He could say definitely that he did not intend to bargain with the Maoris over what had been and should be done. It was useless to expect the Government in a short time to remedy what had been done over a whole century past. The Government was not prepared to name a time, because if it did so it might be accused of not keeping its word. However, he promised that as soon as the whole matter could be laid before the Government the tribes would be informed, and when a settlement was made it would be something the Government could live up to. It would be a practicable Settlement, and even treatment would bo given to all.