DWELLINGS AT MOTUROA

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1935, Page 6

DWELLINGS AT MOTUROA

DISPUTED HARBOUR LAND MAORIS’ OCCUPATION TO CEASE. SITES TO BE VACATED BY TO-DAY. SEVERAL BUILDINGS BEEN MOVED. Under orders made in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court on May 13 and in the New Plymouth Supreme Court on' May 17 Maoris in possession of property on the Ngamotu beach west of the Hongi Hongi stream are required to vacate the sites and permit the New Plymouth Harbour Board to take possession to-day. Several Maoris were still in occupation when, the area was visited yesterday. At least one Maori cottage and several buildings, the property Of Europeans, have been removed during the last few weeks. Several of these, it is understood, have been sold and removed by the purchaser, who stated that such purchases were made with European owners. A visit to the site yesterday did not reveal any untoward incident. One .might have anticipated a hive of industry and several buildings in various stages of being dismantled. But such was not the case. In fact the dismantling of one building said to be the property of a European was the only evidence of activity. Whether or not the court Orders will be fulfilled time alOnO will tell but the sight of a party of Maori children and several adults squatting in front of a whare enjoying yesterday’s late afternoon sun did not indicate compliance. One suggestion is that several of the cottages have 'been vacated and left on the site by their owners, who have made their homes elsewhere. However, efforts to substantiate this were unavailing. The ownership of the area of land occupied by the Maoris has long been in dispute with the Maoris, some of whom agreed to give the harbour board possession by July 20 on the understanding that they should be permitted to remove the buildings and that the board should waive all rights to costs. A more recent development was a request made to the board that it should provide the Maoris with five acres of land for the establishment of a model Maori pa. The board did not acCede to the request on the grounds that the land asked for was required for the development Of the port.