G.—l

12

Mr. Oreagh said he came to see the Native Minister with respect to the Whaiti and Karanui Blocks, situated between the Waikato and Tauranga districts. He had received notice, after having the survey nearly completed, to desist from the work, which he could understand if there was danger feared. There was no possible danger attached to the work; and he knew that the statements made in Wellington were unfounded —perfectly unfounded. He had dealt with the Natives for a long time, and had worked for the Government for the last eleven years. He had never been engaged in a survey where there was more unanimity than in the survey in question. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if there had been no opposition to the survey. Mr. Creagh said there had been no opposition. Hon. Native Minister asked it there had been no opposition whatever. Mr. Creagh said there had been very little. There had been no opposition to his private surve}*-, but there had been to the Government survey. Hon. Native Minister said he had had statements from very influential Maoris indeed that there was very great opposition to the survey ; and that there was, moreover, not only possible danger, bnt very probable danger. The opinions of others had been expressed to him to that effect very strongly indeed. Mr. Creagh said he did not think there was a man —a chief of the tribe concerned in the block— who would really come forward and make that statement. Twenty-five or thirty Natives were preparing to come down to Wellington to see about the survey, but he had asked them not to go to the expense until after he had been down and seen about the matter. Hon. Native Minister said Mr. Creagh was quite right in saying that the survey had been stopped. He had stopped the survey because influential Natives had given him assurance that there was extreme danger of —in fact, bloodshed. Mr. Creagh said the real cause of the survey being stopped was that Mr. L. M. Grace had forced him, in fact, to diverge to the Government line. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if he was in the employ of the Government. Mr. Creagh replied that he was working for the Government, through Mr. Grace. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if he meant that Mr. Grace had employed him on behalf of the Government. Mr. Creagh said Mr. Grace had asked him particularly to run through the line on behalf of the Government. Hon. Native Minister inquired if Mr. S. P. Smith, Chief Surveyor, knew anything about that. Mr. Creagh said Mr. Grace intimated that he would arrange with Mr. Smith, if he (Mr. Creagh) would carry the line through for him. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if he had been a Government servant. Mr. Creagh answered that he had been a Government servant. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if he was not aware that such orders as these had to come from Mr. Smith. Mr. Creagh said, Certainly; but Mr. Grace had assured him that he would arrange the matter. He had undertaken the work in opposition to his own wish. Hon, Native Minister said he had the assurance of Mr. Smith that there had been no surveyor working on the block for the Government. Mr. Creagh said Mr. Smith had not authorized the survey. Hon. Native Minister said Mr. Grace had acted without the consent of the Government in any way —assuming, of course, what Mr. Creagh had stated in the matter was correct. Mr. Creagh said he was perfectly sure that the opposition had not arisen from the Natives, but from Europeans. Hon. Native Minister inquired if the boundary Mr. Grace had asked him to survey formed part of the survey of his (Mr. Creagh's) private block also. Mr. Oreagh answered that it did—part of it. Mr. Gill asked Mr. Creagh if the land he was surveying made the Government purchase larger or the private purchase larger. Mr. Creagh said he did not think it made a difference of 100 acres. What it took out in one place it put in in another. Mr. Gill asked if it was a deviation from the line in the Government Gazette. Mr. Creagh said it was —a little. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if he had been making these deviations without the authority of the Government Surveyor. Mr. Creagh said that he had been. He held an authority in his hand to take in the lands pointed out by the Natives to him. [Mr. Creagh here gave the authority to the Native Minister to peruse.] The Government block was a very large one; he believed it was one of the largest blocks in the North Island. Hon. Native Minister said the application stated that James Mackay, of Wellington (who was at present an officer of the Government), would pay for the survey. Mr. Creagh said that was a former agreement, long ago. The Natives would pay for it now. Mr. Gill asked Mr. Creagh if he knew when the applications for the survey were sent in to the Survey Department. Mr. Creagh said about a year and a half ago. The Natives themselves had put in that application. Mr. Gill asked how Mr. Mackay's name came to be mixed up with it. Mr. Creagh said he did not know Mr. Mackay was-at that time acting as agent for the Natives. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh how long he had been engaged surveying that portion of the Government block which Mr. Grace had asked him to survey —how many days. Mr. Creagh said he thought about three weeks. Hon. Native Minister asked Mr. Creagh if Mr. Grace was with him when he was engaged surveying the other portions of the private block.