MOKAU LAND CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3005, 18 October 1911, Page 70

MOKAU LAND CASE.

MR MASSEY EXPLAINS. WELLINGTON, October 12. Before the Mokau Committee this morn. Sir James Carroll asked Mr Massey to explain his reference at Levin " that what had been sold had been the right to exploit the settlers, and it was done by "virtue of a wretched little provision which had been slipped into the Native Land Act to permit of an Order-in-Council. This was the sort of thing that was happening." Sir J. Carroll thought it only fair to the Government that this question should be asked, as the paragraph directly charged the Government with having specially designed this clause. Mr Massey denied having said so, but stated that when the head of the department had been examined he asked the question whether the clause in question was designed to meet this case, and T;he vitness said " No." Mr Massey, however, said that, in his opinion, the power was one which should not be there. He himself was away from the House when ihe clause was inserted, but, anyway, it was customary to leave Native Bills to the Native Affairs Committee, and ho would probably not have noticed it. This was all the evidence taken.