MAORIS AND TROUT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 25 September 1913, Page 7

MAORIS AND TROUT.

AX IMPORTANT JUDGMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ROTOUUA, Last Night. Mr Dyer, S.M., gave his decision to-day in the case of Peta Heretini, charged with taking trout out of season. He held that the decision in the-case of Tamirana, Korokai v. the Solicitor-General (Rotorua lake-bed case) did not apply, and it did' not authorise a Native to take trout during a close season. Regarding defendant's contention that he had a right urtdej - the Treaty of Waitarigi to take t the fish, Mr Diyer said it was not the duty of any Court in dealing with the statutes relating to Natives to decide if there had been any infringement of that Treaty, and to decline to apply or enforce any part of the statute which was contrary thereto. If Parliament had dealt unfairly with the Natives (he did not suggest, that it -had), that was the business of Parliament, and not of the courts. The defendant wa« convicted and fined £5 and 12s costs. Leave to appeal was granted.