PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 8, 25 August 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

I.EGFwLATIVn COUNCIL. (Tor Press Association.’; Wellington, August 24. The Legislative Council met at 2.«?0. A dobat on Sir Maurice O’Rorko’s .notion lor the .settlement of pensioners ou the load along the North Island Main 'hunk railway was negatived by i‘d to 5. After the Hon. Messrs Beehan and Anstcy had spoken in opposition, the Council adjourned. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. The Papakaio Water-race District Validation Bill, designed to remove all doubts as to the legality of matters connected with the Papakaio waterrace district was read a second time. BA ROTO NG AN M ATTERS. The report of the Chief Justice on the charges against the administration of Rarotonga came up for consideration. Mr Wright said the report was most unsatisfactory. Petitioners, who had asked for an inquiry, wanted their evidence taken on oath with open doors. The report was an unfair, unjust and biassed one. The natives of the Islands were, ho submitted, afraid of the power of the Government, hence their unwillingness to come forward and give evidence with regard to the administration of the hospital. He held that the hospital was not kept in a condition fit for the

performance of operations. In connection with alcoholic liquor on the • Islands, he maintained the law con- j cerning this matter was not enforced ' and it was on account of .his endeavours to enforce this law that Mr Roy- | nolds was dismissed. The lagoon I was a menace to public health, and : should ho drained. With regard to ' the auditor, Twiss was the bodyguard | of Smith and therefore should not bo allowed to audit the latter’s accounts. He moved that the report be referred back to the Chief Justice for further consideration. Mr Hardy seconded the motion. Sir James Carroll said nothing humanely possible would satisfy Mr Wright in this matter. They recognised they had certain responsibilities to discharge in connection with the administration of the Islands, and lie strongly objected to the matter being made a channel for party politics. Tnoro had been nothing specific in the charges against the administration. Practically the whole trouble was that Hr. Dawson could not get on with Captain Smith. From what he had been informed, the sanitation was good. Many of the conditions of the natives of the Islands compared favourably with the conditions obtaining in Now Zealand. In his opinion the nature of the charges wore ridiculous. Political feeling had something to do with them. Malcontents were stirring up strife. When the charges wore analysed, they were found to emanate from three persons. It was quite clear that Mr Reynolds had tried to dictate to the Resident Commissioner, and the result yvas the termination of his engagement. Sir James Carroll said he. believed in establishing educational facilities on tbo Islands. The matter demanded the attention of New Zealand legislators. Medical matters also rquired earnest consideration, and the health of the natives required special attention. This was the whole position. He was in communication with the High Commissioner in London with a view to obtaining the services of a young medical man well up in tropical I diseases to go to the Islands. They were arranging for a doctor to go the round of all the islands of the group. Dr. Dawson was offered the official position at Niue, but ho preferred to go to Rarotonga to start a private practice. Considerable improvement had been made in the management of the Islands since Captain Smith went there.

Mr Allen said a great deal of what was alleged had been proved. The Resident Commissioner was not competent to deal with matters of justice or land court matters at the Islands. He charged the Govercnment with having utilised the Ch’ef Justice for the purposes which le (tight not to have been uti'ised for. It was not right that the Chief Justice should be asked to pronounce judgment on the Government. Continuing, he said Mr Smith had no knowledge of the language or customs of the natives. He complained of the policy of “taihoa” in connection with the administration of the Polynesian question.

Mr Te Rangihiroa (Dr Bade) said tho complaints bad been g.osdy exaggerated, and bo wondered : f so n vch notice would have been taken of the report had it not been given a political aspect. Mr Stallworthy thought the Chief Justice’s report a very fair one. Tho House adjourned at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. Tho House resumed at 7.30. The Hon. G. Fowlds, referring to Mr Wright’s statement ro tho Cook Islands administration report, said that tiie little bickerings of a small community had been very much magnified. A sanevor straightcr and more sober statement than that presented by the Chief Justice could not bo possible. The report had been received with satisfaction throughout the country. Tho conditions at tho Islands had greatly improved of recent years since Now Zealand took over the administration.

Mr Massey said that in connection with this matter the country had taken up tho black man’s burden. They had not done their duty in the matter, nor had they taken up their responsibilities. During recent years there had been much dissatisfaction expressed in the administration of the Cook- Islands. i Ho did not think it right to have appointed Sir Robert Scout as Commissioner for such work

as he was required to perform. He (Mr Massey) maintained with regret that the Chief Justice was far too fond in recent years of secret inquiries. 'The country was sick of star chamber inquiries, and more would he heard of the matter before the end of the scs-

5-iC.u. Ho deeply regretted that judges were brought into the arena of politics. The report submitted was a report of counsel for the defence, rather than that of a C- - mmissioner. In the matter of education ho he'd that if it wore possible for t’e London Missionary Society an 1 the St. Joseph nuns find money f or the purposes of education, surely the New Zealand Government, who controlled the Islands, could do so. He did not reflect on the present administration of the Cook Islands. In his opinion, a proper inqury with open doors and the admittance of the press should be hold.

Mr Glover held that the report was a very satisfactory one.

Mr Laurcnsou did not think there was anything in the alleged charges of maladministration. He was greatly concerned with the brutal and personal attacks made against the Chief Justice. If charges were to be made against any of our judges, they should lie made straightforwardly ou the floor of the House and not by suggestion and innuendo. The Hon. Mr Ngata pointed out that it was impossible for the revenue of the Cook Islands to withstand the strains that would bo put upon it if some of the suggestions as mentioned by members were put into effect. Ho

would suggest before it was too late, and before all sorts of acts and condi-

tions were introduced into the Islands, that all the intruders should be deported from Rarotonga and the Rarotongans left to themselves. _ He did not think that matters would bo allowed to lie where they were, but would be brought up continually. The report of Sir Robert Stout was deserving of a good deal of respect.

Mr Poole said that the Chief Justice had come out of the attack made on him with credit to himself. He would not support the motion to refer the report back to the Chief Justice, as such a couhse would he a reflection on his integrity and judgment, and not in keeping with the dignity of the House. Mr Russell held that while New Zealand had annexed the Islands, they had never done their duty towards the inhabitants of them. Mr Wright, in reply, said the fact of the matter was that the Chief Justice had been brought into the matter by the Government and given instructions. Probably some of the charges were not grave, but graver charges would have been brought had a proper inquiry been set up. The wish of the natives that there should bo white representation on the Federal Council should be complied with. The motion was' negatived on the voices. The House rose at 11.35 p.m. MCKAU LANDS COMMISSION. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, August 25. The Mokau inquiry was continued yesterday morning by the Native Affairs Committee.

Mr Dalziell, of the firm of Findlay, Dalziell and Co., was permitted to remain in the room and ask questions of witnesses in connection with any allegations made against the tirm. Mr H. D. Bell, called bj' Mr Massey, stated that ho represented legally the majority of the Native owners of the block. At the first meeting of assembled Native owners of the block the proposal to sell was rejected by an overwhelming majority. They considered the price offered was too low, 77 per cent, of the Natives were against the salo of the block. The second meeting was equally futile. Someone prevented him being informed of the alteration of opinion of the Natives, who consequently had no independent legal advice as to whether they should submit to the terms the Maori Land Board had allowed to be submitted. With regard to the alleged claim for £BO,OOO against the Natives under the land transfer assmance fund, if the claim was valid it still existed, the purchase by Mr Lewis had not extinguished it. The Natives were induced to sell the land, thereby ridding themselves of the possibility of litigation. His whole point was that the Native owners never had independent legal advice when the sale was made. The Maori Land Board, instead of protecting the Natives, did all it could to push the salo through. There never was any substance in the claim under the land transfer assurance fund.

Sir James Carroll objected to dence that the Maori Land Board had forced the sale through.

Mr Bell said tho board had coefced recalcitrant owners by holding meetings till they came round in opinion. He did not suggest that the board did not believe the transaction was in the interests of tho Natives.

In reply to a further query from Sir James Carroll, he said lie was perfectly certain the Natives had not received a fair price for the land. Mr 801 l said lie wished to make it distinctly understood that he had never offered an opinion whether the Government had or had not acted rightly in tho matter. Mr Mandcr asked witness if tho Government would have experienced more difficulties in the purchase of the block than Mr Lewis had. Witness answered in the affirmative, as MiLewis had combined the interests of the Natives with his own, whereas the Government would have had to deal with Mr Lewis and the Natives.

In reply to Mr Dalziell, Mr 801 l *ai l if there was anything in tho assurance claim, Ids (Mr Dalziell’s) firm had done gross injustice to tho Natives in the matter of the purchase of the property for £25,000. The committee adjourned till Wednesday next.