MAORIS’ CLAIMS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1935, Page 4

MAORIS’ CLAIMS

EXTRA COMPENSATION CONFISCATION OF LANDS DOUBLE £5OOO WANTED £500,000 FROM THE SOUTH FACILITIES AT HAWERA By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A large gathering of Maoris, mostly from Taranaki, met the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes and the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates at Lower Hutt to-day, when claims were presented in connection with confiscated lands in Taranaki and on behalf of the Ngaitahu Trust Board and the beneficiaries of the Ngaitahu Claim (South Island). Taranaki Maoris sought an additional £soou a year to the amount of £5OOO a year already granted and the sum of £500,000 was asked in respect to South Island lands. Mr. Taite te Tomo, M-P., appealed against lands being sold for the payment of rates. The Native Trust Board, he said, could with the assistance and supervision of the Government do work that was at present being donfe by the Native Trustee. . . Sir Apirana Ngata said that m 1930 an offer of £5OOO a year was accepted by the Taranaki Maoris, but it was without prejudice, and the aniount was to be increased when the Dominion’s finances improved. So the present representations were being made. With reference to what Mr. Taite ,Te Tomo had said Sir Apirana suggested an administrative branch of the Native Trust Office should be established at Hawera, with the Taranaki Trust Boards as associates. Every Maori community wanted less centralisation at Wellington and more decentralisation so that the Maoris could know what was being done with reference to their lands and interests. NGAITAHU CLAIM. The South Island petition set out the history of, the Ngaitahu Claim, which was investigated by a Royal Commission in 1920. The commission recommended the payment of £354,000. The petitioners asked (1) that the decision of the Royal Commission of 1920 be given effect and brought into operation at the earliest possible moment, and that (2) a meeting of the Ngaitahu Trust Board be called during this session of Parliament to confer with the Native Minister and the Minister of Finance. Mr. Forbes said the question of a grant for confiscated lands would require close consideration, and he would go into the suggestion that in one case payment was not made in full. He would be pleased to go into what Sir Apirana Ngata had suggested about the Maoris beirig able to get better access to information about their lands and rents. It was the people’s right to know what was being done. The claims made by the Maoris would receive full consideration. i

Mr. Coates said the Maoris had shown their sense of responsibility by accepting reductions When the depression came, and thus showed that they had the national welfare at-heart. As to the question whether the Taranaki Maoris should get £10,003 and not £5OOO, the £5OOO was a definite commitment and would be honoured. When the £5OOO was given it was accepted, but Sir Maui Pomare was not satisfied with it and said they would come for more. The Government had not said it would give more. To be frank he did not see how the Government could consider an extra £5OOO this year. He would be glad to see how far it was possible to grant the-' request for £3OO for Parihaka, added the Minister. With regard to the West Coast administration he was of the opinion that it should be close to the people. The position with regard to the South Island claims was unsatisfactory. One of his first duties as Native Minister had been to investigate the position, and his announcement that the Government recognised the commission’s finding about the payment had caused a certain amount of consternation. It was a different matter, however, what the Government could afford to pay, and in his opinion it was a matter for compromise. That would be fair enough to begin with.