NGAITAHU CLAIM

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25396, 28 December 1945, Page 6

NGAITAHU CLAIM

OFFER OF £300,000 ACCEPTANCE BY MAORIS (0.C.) INVEROARGILL, Thursday Meetings of Maori people in various parts of the South Island have agreed to accept the Government's offer for a settlement of the Ngaitahu claim, according to Mr L. T. 'tirikatene, member of the Executive Council representing the Maori race the claim is nearly 100 years old, dating hack to 1848. It is based on certain promises which were mado to the Maori people when the South Island was ceded to tho pnkeha. Some of the land was to he reserved for the Maoris, hut in the main the promise was never Carried out. This failure to honour tho agreement has been a source of grievance over since. Tho Government now proposes to .settle the claim for £300,000, to be paid in annual instalments of £IO,OOO over 30 years. Mr Tirikatene is on a motoring holiday with his family, and during the past few clays they have been staying at a motor camp in lnvercargul. However, Mr Tirikatene is taking the opportunities that offer on the tour of meetiiipr tho Maori people find discussing with them the settlement of tho claim Ho said that meetings of the Maoris at Invercargill and Bluff had agreed to accept a settlement of the claim on the basis of the Government's proposals, and'ho hoped to address meetings at Ilivorton, Tuntapere and Colac way before returning 1101 th. Various proposals had been made for employing the money to the best advantage of the Maori people, said Mr Tirikatene. One plan was to use a portion of the money for training young Maoris in scientific methods of farming. It had also been suggested that another portion of .the money should ho devoted to providing better housing conditions for Maoris.