THE MOKAU DEAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 95, 5 December 1911, Page 5

THE MOKAU DEAL.

STATEMENT ABOUT MR. OKEY’S “DISCOVERY.” “A POLITICAL DODGE.” (Per Press Association 1 Palmerston, December 4. Mr C. A. Loughnan, solicitor for the Mokau Company, writes to the “Manawatu Daily Times’Tegarding Mr okey’s statements that the Government handed over 5021 acres of Crown lands to the company at 5s 3d per acre. That this was never Crown lands, and that the order of the Court had been made in instance was shown in the evidence of Mr Kensington, Un-der-Secretary for Lands, who also showed that there was no handing over to the syndicate.

Mr Loughnan continues: “Mr Kensington openly declared his intention to apply to the Native Land Court in the following October for an order cancelling the vesting orders granted in 1907, for the reasons then given, and especially for the purpose of formally clearing the title for the purchasing syndicate or company. Mr Massey was present, and heard Mr Kensington give his evidence. He then cross-examined that gentleman personally. He therefore knew not only what had been done, but what was going to he done about the cancellation of the order, and yet neither before the committee nor subsequently either in addressing the House of Representatives or the many meetings ho has since harangued has he made a single reference to this matter until Mr Okey sprang his belated mare’s nest on the 28th November. There can only ho one or two explanations of such conduct. Either that Mr Massey was perfectly satisfied with Mr Kensington’s action, explanations and proposals, or else that Mr Massey was himself particeps criminis to the whole swindle, and deliberately stood aside to let it go through. In common with everyone else who heard Mr Kensington, the Leader of the Opposition was satisfied and the reopening of the matter is merely a political dodge. Mr Dalziell throughout represented Mr Herman Lewis as vendor, and I alone represented the company as purchasers in all its negotiations. I had no intercourse with.the Government or any of its officials . I settled with Mr Dalziell in entire and complete ignorance of the existence of any orders vesting any of the land in the Crown. My searches disclosed nothing but charging orders protecting a money claim by the Crown for survey charges amounting to £1469 Bs._ and upon the settlement in August last I gave Mr Dalziell cheques, making up the full purchase money, taking his undertaking to clear the Government lieu of £l-169 8s in due course out of that money. I was subsequently informed by Mr Dalziell’s office of tjio existence of the vesting orders, but was assured that these orders had always been treated as ineffectual, had never been signed, sealed, surveyed off, or acted upon, and that the Department as a mere official act was taking steps to have the orders cancelled at the following sittings of the Land Court to ho held in October. In duo course I was advised that this had been done. It is also a fact that only about 3000 acres of the now celebrated 5020 acres passed the company. The balance was retained by M r Herman Lewis, and that portion which did pass was paid for on the same footing as the rest of the block, namely, at the rate of £1 15s per acre, as Mr Okey very well knows, notwithstanding his statement to the effect that the Government handed it over to the Company for 5s lOd per acre.” '