INDIGNANT MAORIS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20231, 28 June 1937, Page 2

INDIGNANT MAORIS

FORCED TO LEAVE ORAKEI

PREVIOUS INQUIRIES REOALLED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Saturday. The Orakei natives are surprised and mdignant at the decision of the Minister of Lands, the Hon. F. Langstone, to shift the Maoris from Orakei. They state that this is contrary to any official view previously expressed and still rely on the Prime Minister to see that justice Is done them. Nia Mira, chief at Orakei, to-day traced the development of the problem since 1903 and referred to the emphatic statements by Judge F. 0. V. Acheson, of the Native Land Court, that the land should be given the Maoris at Orakei when a Court of Inquiry was held under the CoatesKorbes' Government. It was stated also that at a previous Inquiry when Judge Acheson and the Maoris’ Council had sought the production in court pf certain documents giving the Government promises which had induced the Maoris to sell the land at Orakei the Government representatives had refused and left the court. The documents had never been produoed. Just before Mr Savage had left for FJngland he had promised that the matter would be settled, but three days after, Mr Langstone’s decision bad come.