ENQUIRY DEMANDED

Southland Times, Issue 16786, 14 July 1911, Page 3

ENQUIRY DEMANDED

A NATIVE LAND DEAL. THE MOKAU ESTATE. In the course of his speech in the Wellington Town Hall on Thursday, Mr Massey, Leader of the Opposition, had something to say about the recent sale of what is generally known as the Mokuu Jones’ Lands in Taranaki. This block of land. Mr Massey explained, constituted of 53,000 acres, and was leased many years by Mr Jones. One of the conditions on which lie took up the land was that he was to spend a certain amount of money on it. It was held that the conditions were not carried out and the land was sold, but prior to this a commission, consisting of the Chief Justice and the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court, was set up and found that the leases were void, that the land was native land, and that part of it should be kept for settlement by the natives. The law to-day laid it down that no individual could acquire more than a certain area of native land (3000 acres of second-class land), but there was a clause which provided that in the public interest the Government might, by Order-in-Council, arrange for a larger area being sold. In the case in question, when the meeting was called to get the consent of the natives to the proposed sale, only four of them turned up. They wore offered 10s per aero, out declined. Another meeting was held, slightly better terms were offered, and the necessary Order-in-Council was issued, and 53,000 acres of land were sold at about 10s per acre. Tins land was good land, with minerals in it. Within two weeks the man who laid got it sold it to a syndicate at 100 per cent, profit. It was now in the hands of the syndicate. “And,” lie added. “I ask if that sale is in the public interest? I say it was not in the public interest and I say that an enquiry into the transaction should take place. (Applause.) 1 ask Sir James Carroll to say what lias taken place. If lie will not do so as a result of my statement here, I will ask him in Parliament. We want to see native land settled, but we want to see it settled in the proper way.” (Applause.)