The Wairarapa Lakes.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2033, 21 February 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Lakes.

uii Saturday afternoon a deputation consisting of Mr 11. Bunny, appoii tad for the occasion to represent the Government, Mr J ones Donald, chairman of the South Wairarapn Kiver Conservators Board, and Mr A. Matthews, a member of tbeFeatherston Koad Board, the Kiver Board, and the County Council, proceeded to Papawai to meet the Native Committee, appointed by the various ha pus, to consider the lake question. The members of the Native Committee were all present but three, and some of those present came from distant parts of the Waitatapa. The meeting was held in a house foimerly the residence of the late chief Mamhera, and a number of natives beside the committee were present. Mr H. Bunny, in addressing the natives, said—My Maori friends I hare resided among you now for 34 years ; we have always been friends ; the Government have now asked me to say to you that they ate prepared to pay the natives and all interested in the Waitatapa Lakes, the full value of their interests. My advice to you is this ; Come to terms with the Government; we ate quite prepared to pay you in money or land ', if you want money you shall have it; if you require laud' you shall get it in land. 1 would say to you appoint your man to settle the question ; the Government will appoint a man. Then let them meet a third man to dispose of the matter ; and also to decide as to what the price shall be ; the Government is a great power, but they wish to study your interests. I, as a friend, advise yon to come to terms with the Government and settle the whole matter. I understand that the various hapus have appointed a man each to reprei sent their respective districts on a committee, and with that committee I have to deal. I believe nine of the committee are here out of twelve. If yon leave yourselves in the bands of your committee Mr James Donald, Mr. Matthews, and I will meet you at any time. We are prepared to be liberal ; take either land or money and the whole thing is settled. The Government is quite prepared to meet you ; when you decide to appoint a person on yonr behalf the Government will appoint a representative on their side; a third party can then be mutually appointed, and 1 then can get a document drawn up. 1 should like to bear an expression of opinion from my friends here as to whether they will leave the matter in the bands of the committee. In a few words 1 will say the matter cannot remain as it is now. It is at present a great lose to the Europeans who own land in the immediate locality. We will pay you the lull value, bat we must have the lakes opened. The law gives the Kiver Board great power, but we do not wish to exercise that power if we can possibly avoid it. We want an answer before Parliament meets at the end of April next. We do not wish to hurry you into a decision, hut we must have an answer before then. Of course, if the matter is arranged it may be necessary to bring in a Bill next session to legalise what may be agreed upon. When I look round here I see some of the most influential among the natives present. If you fix a day for me to come here I will come here. Now 1 wish tc

bear what you have to say. i’iripi te Maari said—l am Chairman of the Native Committee. My word is to ask the committee to let Mr Bunny’s question stand I over now. Ot course, my words now are the same as expressed a short time ago. When Sir G Grey came into office some years ago, 1 ,Ur Sheehan came to meet the natives about ■ the Wairarapa Lakes. Mr Sheehan suggested 1 at that time to ns to elect a committee to see ! about the question. A meeting took place afterwards for that purpose. Mr Sheehan 1 when he came, told us that he was going 3 to the Bast Cape, and when he returned he would meet the Native Committee ; but he i never sent for the committee. He ; quite forgot until he got put out of office. 1 The second man that eame was Mr Bryce, and Mr Bryce urged very strongly that the } matter should be settled, but I never saw 9 the meeting take place to discuss it satiafac--1 torily. Alter then Mr Bryoe’e Government went out of office and nothing was done. 1 After this Mr Ballauoe came into office and 9 met ns here at Fapawai, and thoroughly ’ explained matters about native affairs throughout New Zealand and the Wairarapa 9 Lakes. Mr Ballance wished to have the 9 question of the lakes settled. He urged then i not to be long, but to meet soon and settle 9 it. Mr Ballance approved of a committee and left us and went to the East Coast. 9 A shot I while ago the committee met at I Papawai, and the committee went into the l whole question, it is a question very hard for 1 the natives to settle, that is the reason the 9 matter is left over, therefore Mr BaUanoe's suggestion is left unfinished, the committee 9 a little while ago met at Waitapu, the natives held a meeting, the lake question was fully 9 talked about, and then it was very clear to 1 those present that the main thing was the 1 opening of the lakes on account of the damage dene to stock and land owned by Europeans I the committee saw one difficulty, that was 1 the entrsnee from the sea, keeping that open. Another difficulty was the ownership, that was a very ticklish question, the Europeans 9 argue that their stock is imperilled and their land spoiled, the Natives say on the other ' hand that they are losing their fish. At the Waitapu meeting it was found that for four months in the year it was profitable to the Natives to catch eels and other kinds of fish, to meet the Europeans halt way, they agreed to decide to let the Government have ten months in the year .tor the lakes to be 9 opened, the natives to reserve two months, 1 namely January and February for their c fishing, thus conceding March and April, > On October 12 last 1 went to Wellington ; 1 9 interviewed Mr Ballanos and laid the decision ’ of the committee before him. I explained P that the natives would be satisfied with two | months in the year lor the lake to be closed. 1 Mr Ballance thanked us very much for the 9 trouble we had taken and said he was glad ( that we had come to some decision at last. 9 After he beard all 1 had to say he said his | reply to me was to take back to the Commit- * tee that they (the Government) wished 1 to buy the lakes ; if the natives want money s they can get money ; if land they can get ‘ Uud. If the natives would not sell Mr Ballance asked if they would lease ; lie t.ffil me to lay this before the committee. : Tno raison why I did not cull the Committee together before was because 1 was waiting ' the result of the election of the new district committee, which took place recently. Now Mr Bunny is here and I am here, what Mr Brmny uas laid before the committee is good. * Now ull the people here have heard nomMc 1 Buaoy what ho has to propose lot the Uovi foment. I am oniy expressing my ov.n . i'mijn. The Government suggestion is good, a ; , o ; too Government go into the qn»!»ti..a . Highly ; 1 am sure our people uieu will i,-ue to settle the dispute ; this is the reason A the trouble; the Gouimucnt by offering ■ hn.v the lakes may bo covering tome other , .jtiled tumbles. There is anutacr , reason why there is a difficulty; when the aiod on the east side of the lake was sold , ccitain inland streams where the natives had .1 light to fish were taken from them and .heir chums done away witn. These the Government of bir Donald McLean acknowledged were tire propeity of tin. Mamies, but .fir Donald McLean’s Govcrnm.. ' upset ihem. Another great difficulty was In. the reserves on the west side of lake were bong., ny the Government from one native who did not consider the claims of the rest ol his tribe. These lands were out out for the people. There was an earthquake in 1855, and lots of land that was before then under water was left dry. Certain persons then went and bought up this land from the Government which did not belong to the Government but to the natives. What Mr Bunny has said is good to come out. This is my idea. Settle all these disputes, and then we can come to a decision. In 1883 the lakes were put through ihc Native Court. The decision of the Coiut wav that the lakes belonged to the natives, before the lake question went before the Court a number of Europeans laid claim to iho land. The decision ol the Court was i hat the deep water of the lake belonged to l he Natives ; ho thought it should be to high water mark, according to deeds of sale, The government suggestion is good; let

the committee decide; let it be a week, month or even two month* if they choose. I have no more to say. Mr Bunny said he was pleased to hear the talk ol his old friend Piripi, let them leave out all that Sheehan, Bryce and others had said and let them come to the present moment he was quite oontent to leave it in the hands of bis old friend Piripi and the Native Com« mittee, if they liked to say that they could meet him in one or two weeks time he and the other gentlemen would be there to hear what they had to say but without doubt the matter must shorty be settled. The deputation then withdrew. Another meeting will probably take place in a fortnight’s time. Piripi spoke iu Maori, which Mr C. JJury interpreted.

A meeting of tbe Wairarapa Lakes Native Committee was held on Saturday night late, after all tbe visitors had retired. Piripi Te Maiti (chairman), Wi flutana, C. Jury, Martin Te Ore, Eahungu, Karatiana, Robert Members, Kometie, Pbarazyn, aud E. H. Manibera were present. After considerable disonssion it was resolved on (tbe proposition of Mr C. Jury, seconded by Pbarazyn, That tbe natives agree to settle tbe lake question witbio a few days on condition that the Government appoint a commissioner to meet tbe Native Committee, that commissioner to have power with (he committee to call upon tbe Govern ■ ment to produce any deeds that they may require concerning tbe lands around tbe lakes, and also to have power to call as witnesses any person or persons wbo can enlighten the commissioner and tbe committee upon the matter. This resolution will be forwarded to Mr Bunny to present to the Government. The meeting adjourned, pending tbe reply.