Meeting of West Coast Lessees.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 109, 19 July 1895, Page 2

Meeting of West Coast Lessees.

At the meeting of lessees in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening fifty leaseholders attended. Mr 0. McHardy was voted to the chair. The Chairrmu explained the object for whioh the meeting had been called, and invited Mr Elwin to address the meeting and' give those assembled particulars of what had been done in other places. Mr Elwin said meetings had been held of Waihi and Okato lessees, who had decided to take up the question of the formation of a league with spirit. Mr George McLean had undertaken to work up the Hawera and Waimate lessees, and he was certain it was in good hands, and anticipated a favorable result. Last year a petition was got up, but nothing had been done with it, as it was too late in the session. He had got a petition up, and it went to the House, where it received favorable consideration. It was then referred to the Public Trustee, who reported that leaseholders had no grievance, and there that matter dropped. When Mr Reeves -visited the district they laid the whole matter before him, and he considered the lessees had a good case, and would lay the matter before the Trustee. Again the reply came that they had no grievance. When the Premier came through he was interviewed and the matter fully discussed. A deputation of natives had also waited on the Premier, and everything advanced by the lessees was confirmed by the natives. The Premier said he was astonished to find that there was so much jobbery and extortion in the administration of the reserves. Mr Allen Bell waited on the Premier at Okato, and pointed out that when he applied for a new lease he had to deposit £7 10s, but when he got the lease found he had to pay £l7 for expenses. The Premier said that was rank extortion. The settlers at Puniho waited on the Premier and represented that they had no road to their lands. The Premier asked them if £IOO would be sufficient to give them access. The settlers replied it would. The Premier, on his return to-Wellington, laid the matter before the Trustee, who absolutely refused to do anything. He said the settlers had taken up the land without a road and they could stay without a road, as it would be of no benefit to the Maori beneficiaries. He (Mr Elwin) had come to the conclusion'that now was the time to take step 3 to remove the incubus. He had written the matter up fully, and wanted the Opunake Times to publish it, but the proprietor said his paper was too small and he could not spare the space, otherwise they would have had full particulars before them now. He had got it published in the Taranaki paper, and was now getting it republished in pamphlet form, and he would thus get his ideas before them. He considered it very necessary that they should have his ideas before them. He had put his ideas on paper and would read them. The Premier had said it would take £400,000 to give effect to it, but he would be prepared to show the Treasurer that it would not cost a penny to the colony to carry it out. MK ELWIN'S IDEAS. " That the time has now arrived when it is necessary to form a league of the leaseholders, settlers and natives on the West Coast of the North Island for the following purposes :—l. The better administration of the native reserves by the promotion of legislation by which (a) The native owners should be able to lease or dispose of their waste lands without delay ; (b) After having each individual native's title to each acre of the reserves determined, each native should be entitled to the inalienable right to acres for a homestead; (c) Each native whose title to land was not sufficient to amount in value to £25 should have the amount paid in cash for bis benefit to the nearest post office ; (d) Each native whose title amounted to above £25 should, on producing proof to the land office of his intention to settle and work on his reserve, be enabled to draw two pounds per acre as capital to work the same, the balance of his title to be invested in N.Z. consols in his name and be inalienable ; (e) All lands already leased to be valued at present marketable value, with improvements; the improvements to be then valued separately, of the balance after reduction to be reduced by 20 per cent as locality value given by rates, &c, spent during 12 years; the amount then arrived at to be loaned under " Loans to Settlers Act " to the leaseholder, and invested for the native owner as under" b and c " ; (f) All lands to be leased to be subject that when tenant has sufficiently improved the same he shall be entitled to a loan which shall enable him to pay for the fee simple of his lands and be invested as before provided ; (o) That all administration of lands shall be under the Land Board of the district, and subject to competent valuation, and subject to the "Lands Act, 1891." 2, That each district be requested to hold meetings to discuss these provisions and elect officers. 3. That each member of the league shall pay a sum of per 100 acres for the purposes of the league." Next Saturday there was to be a meeting of delegates at New Plymouth, and if this meeting favored the proposal it would be for them to elect two delegates. Mr Brennan said he regrettejJJwrr*" ing to traverse some lto i& o z±v TBI win's statemenJiM 5 "publication of his ideas.' He admitted that Mr Elwin had offered him the matter for publication, but he and Mr Elwin were divided as to the necessary space. He (Mr Brennan) was satisfied the gist and sense of the matter could be dealt with in a column or a column and a quarter, whereas Mr Elwin reckoned it would take several weeks to get through it. He said he would not have referred to it only that from

what Mr Elwiu had said it made it appear to the leaseholders assembled as if the Opunake Times were opposed to the scheme, while on the contrary it had given every Bupport, and further than that, he would challenge Mr Elwin to disprove that it was in the Opunake Times the league was first publicly suggested, and was now being acted on aud put forward by Mr Elwin as his own idea. However, Mr Elwin . may have intended it as a little joke, and after this explanation they would let the matter drop and work for the general good of the lessees. Mr Wells said he had acquired one of these leases by which he understood all improvements up to £5 would be his own property. Under the 1892 Act he had applied for a new lease, but when the new valuation was made the native interest was increased twofold. He paid £6ll for improvements and had spent another £9OO. These improvements were valued by the Trustee at £650. The previous valuation for improvements was £630, since which he had spent £6OO in buildings alone, and yet the Trustee's valuator could only find a £2O increase on the place. He had gone to New Plymouth and consulted other lessees; they were dissatisfied and willing to try and obtain redress, but were disunited. They bad sent a petition and got an unsatisfactory answer. Mr Seddon had told them there was no use in a few of them petitioning; they should all do so, and also send men to Parliament to back it up. The Premier said the Government could not interfere with, the Public Trustee unless the Act were altered. His idea was not to have a number of centres, but form one strong united league, appointnecessary officers, keep proper accounts, and in order to provide the sinews of war make a levy on all the members. One shilling for every hundred acres would be sufficient, he thought. When one man objected and petitioned it would cost £ls or £2O, but when they all joined it would not cost more than four or five shillings each. He would work his best until they were all converted into Crown tenants, and then they could convert the league, which would be thoroughly organised and in working order, into a Farmers' Union to look after the farmers' interests, as at present they were the only body of men whose interests were not looked after in the House.

The Chairman thought the system suggested a very good one, and he did not think any one would object to a levy of Is a hundred acres, and take the risk of the result. Mr W. Read asked how many delegates would be required. Mr Wells said that rested with the lessees. Okato had appointed three. Mr Maloolm wished to know if the levy was to be a monthly or annual subscription. Mr Wells said if the acreage affected was right that there would be only the one subscription required. Mr Elwin explained what action the Okato people had taken to clear their their delegates of expense by subscribing 2s 6d each as a preliminary. Mr Read said he did not heaft Mr Elwin say whether he had got any satisfaction from the Premier in reply to the deputation. Mr Elwin repeated particulars of interview.

Mr J. 0. Hickey was of opinion that following Mr Elwin's ideas was asking too much, and they might find themselves like the boy with the nuts—lose the lot. He thought it would be quite enough to fight to become Crown tenants. They had plenty of evidence that that the House would not interfere Public Trustee, and by making such a set on him they might lose all.

Mr Elwin said their plan was quite feasible and could be carried out without any cost to the Government. The Chairman called on all those in favor of forming a league to hold up their hands, when nearly every hand went up. Mr Hickey moved, and Mr Leahy seconded, That Mr MoHardy be appointed a delegate. Mr Read proposed, and Mr Luskseconded, That Mr Malcolm be a delegate. Messrs Brennan, Read and O'Rorke were also proposed but declined. Messrs McHardy and Malcolm were then unanimously chosen. The customary compliment to the chair terminated the meeting.

After the meeting was over nearly all present signed their names in favor of becoming members of the league.