BIG NATIVE LAND CLAIMS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8258, 22 October 1912, Page 5

BIG NATIVE LAND CLAIMS

NAGITAHU TRIBE. Old standing claims in regard to extensive tracts of land in tho South Island were brought before the Prime Minister yesterday iJy ,a deputation from the * Ngaitahu tribe, introduced •by Mr T. Parata, M.P. In 1848, the Government acquired 7,000,000 acres of native lands, for which a deposit of £2OOO was paid. It was understood that the Maoris should get one acre in ten, but this they never received. Later the Government took another 13,000,000 acres, comprising much of Canterbury and Otago, for which nothing was paid, and concerning which the Maoris thought they would receive one acre in ten. For sixty years there had been conferences of the tribe to push lit. claims, and there is now in existence a fund of between £7OOO and £BOOO to fight the matter. In 1881 a Royal Commission reported favorably on the claims, and the Native Affairs Committee in 1910 recommended favorable consideration to a petition on the subject. The Maoris claim that they should receive for their own use the acres (one-tenth of tho total area) or its equivalent in value, which they assessed at £2,000,000. It was pointed out that the system of giving back to tho natives one acre in ten purchased, had been carried out in each instance in the early days except this. The Hon. \V. F. Massey said that these matters could not be settled right off. Ho intended going fully into the question during the recess, and he hoped he would arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. The Government wished to do justice to the natives of both islands, and he believed that they would arrive at some satisfactory solution of the long-standing difficulty.