15

1.—3

Your Committee finds that the statement of tin- Government above referred to contained in Parliamentary Paper G.-l correctly sets out the facts relating to the Government's association with this transaction. As to Mr. Massey's statement of the position, it oorrectly sets out the facts therein referred to. and is in agreement with the statement of the Government except .-is to three minor matters: 1. In clause 7 it is suggested that the limitation provisions of the Native Land Act were avoided by the issue of an Order in Council, whereas in fact the Order in Council was issued in accordance with such limitation provisions. 2. The statement in clause 8 to the effect that ihe meeting of Native owners therein referred to was not properly representative was disproved. 3. The statement in clause 10 to the effect that the company, or members of the company, will possess practically a monopoly of coal-bearing areas on the west coast of the Taranaki Provincial District was disproved. The only additional facts which the Committee deems it necessary to refer to are that the lessee finally acquired the interest of the Natives in the blocks for the sum of £25,000 in cash and the sum of £2,500 in fully-paid-up shares in a company having a capital of £100,000 formed to acquire the Mokau-Mohakatino Block and other properties. Mr. Herrman Lewis, the lessee, sold all his interests in the Mokau-Mohakatino Blocks (excepting an area of about 7,000 acres, which are subject to certain subleases) to Mason Chambers for the sum of .£71,000 in cash and £4,000 in fully-paid-up shares in the company. The company purchased from Mason Chambers, paying in cash and shares in its capital the sum of .£85,000. The sum paid to (lie Natives for their interest in the land was greater than the actuarial value of tin' interests of the Natives burdened with the leases, assuming the purchase-money obtained by the lessee to be the true value of the block. Suggestions were made before the Committee reflecting upon certain departmental officers concerned in this transaction, but your Committee is satisfied that these suggestions were entirely disproved. Your Committee recommends that the report, together with the minutes of proceedings and a copy of the evidence taken, be laid upon the table of the Mouse and be printed. (Parliamentary Paper I .-3a.) 19th October, 1911.

[Translation.] Pl/KAIHKA Na.MA G.-l, MO MOKAU-MOHAKATINO PORAKA (Hk KUPU X CA ANA MO). (a.) Kla iiiiiia c te Komiti nga take c whakahuatia nei i roto i te Pukapuka Paremete G.-l. (6.) Te whai a te Komiti he rapu atu kia kitea ngfa take pono c pa ana mo nga whakahaerenga tikanga a te Kawanatanga mo te taha ki Mokau-Mohakatino Poraku, ara ko nga kupu-a Te Maihe (Mr. Massey) mo runga i aua whakahaerenga tikanga te tino take o tena rapu. (c.) Ko nga kupu c whai ake nei he whakarapopototanga o nga tino take c whakaatu ake nei i roto i te kupu a te Kawanatanga c mau na i roto i taua Pukapuka Paremete : — 1. I a Hepetema, 1908, ko Mr. Herrman Lewis, te tangata nana nga riihi o Mokau, i puritia nei i mua c Mr. Joshua Jones, ka tono ki te Minita Maori kia uiuia c te Komihana Whenua .Maori, ara i te Tumuaki Kai-whakawa o te rtupirimi Kooti raua ko te Honore A. T. Ngata, nga take c pa ana ki taua poiaka. he niea nana mo nga eka kua riro i raro i te Ture Whakanohonoho Whenua, 1907, me nga waiiu o nga paanga o nga Maori me nga paanga b nga kai-tango riihi, kia whakataua c tetahi ropu whakawa c feu motuhake atu ana. 2. I a Pepuere, 1909, ka noho te Komihana, ara ko te Tumuaki Kai-whakawa o te Hupirimi Kooti raua ko te Tumuaki Tiati Paama nga mema o te Komihana i taua wa, a na raua i whakahaere taua take. 3. 1 ki tenei KCmiharia he nui atu te awangawangatanga mo te whaimanatanga o aua riihi, a puta ana hoki tana ripoata hia kaua c whakaaetia te kupu a nga kai-tango riihi. 4. 1 te 19 o Aperira, 1910, tukti whakaatu ana a Mr. ('. P. Skerrett, K.C., te roia c tv ana mo nga Maori nona te whenua, kite Kai-rehita Tianara o nga Whenua, c kereme ana kia £80,000 kia utua c te Assurance Fund, i runga i te mea kua rehitatia hetia c te Kairehita Takiwa Whenua nga riihi a Mr. Jones. 5. He nui nga korerorerotanga me nga whakariteritenga, a, te mutunga iho oti ana te whakaaro a te Kawanatanga ko te mea. tika me lioko nga paanga o nga Maori me nga kaitango riihi, i runga i ta ratou mahara tera c riro mai mo te .£1 i te eka. 6. 1 tena wa he .£31,273 te wariutanga b te Kawanatanga kua whakanohoia ki runga kite poraka katoa, engari i mea te Kawanatanga me mahi ano he wariutanga hou i mua o tana tahuritanga kite hoko. Ko tena wariutanga i nialiia c etahi Crown Lands Rangers tokorua no te Tari Whenua i Niu Paremata, i runga i te tono a te Komihana o Nga Whenua Karauna, c whakahaere ana i raro i te whakahau a Mr. Kensington, Hekeretari mo nga Whenua. 7. Ko te Komihana mo nga Whenua Karauna, i tana tukunga atu kia Mr. Kensington i nga ripoata a nga Rangers, tohutohu atu ana c kore te Kawanatanga c ahei tika kia utu atu kia nuku atu i te £26,000 mo taua whenua. 8. Katahi a Mr. Kensington ka ripoata atu kite Kawanatanga tera pea c tika, kia taea ai taua whenua katoa te whakanohonoho kite tangata, kia hoatu kia £30,000 tae atu kite ,£35,000 mo taua whenua katoa. engari tera pea c pa he mate kite nuku atu i to £30,000 te moni c utua. 9. Tuturu ana te whakaaro a te Kawanatangn c kore c taea c ia i runsra i te ahua o ena ripoata te hoatu kia £53,000 hei utu mo te whenua nei. 10. Katahi te kai-tango riihi ka mea atu kite Kawanatanga me hoko c te Kawanatanga nga paanga o nga Maori, me te paanga o te kai-tango riihi me tango, taikaha atu (compulsorily) c te Kawanatanga.