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Report on Petition of Utiku Potaka.
The petitioner sets forth at considerable length his claim to certain portions of the Rangitikei-Manawatu Block, asserting that, although the claim of his tribe to certain well-defined blocks of land has never been disputed, only one member thereof ever received any of the money paid for the Rangitikei-Manawatu land, and in this case only because the recipient was domiciled with another tribe. Petitioner prays for inquiry and redress.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That the claims set forth in the petition involve questions of Native title which, if reopened at all, ought to be inquired into by some competent tribunal capable of making a full inquiry. But, in the absence of evidence, the Committee are not prepared to say whether or not the case of the petitioner should be reopened.
John Bryce,
Chairman.
[Translation.]
Ko te kupu a te Komiti mo runga i te Pukapuka-inoi a Utiku potaka.
Ko te kai-inoi e whakaatu ana i tona paanga ki etahi wahi o Rangitikei-Manawatu Poraka e mea ana ano hoki ia ahakoa kaore ano kia whakahengia te panga o tona iwi ki etahi wahi o taua Poraka ko tahi ano te tangata o taua iwi i tango moni mo taua whenua mo Rangitikei-Manawatu. A i runga o tenei ko taua tangata i tango ra i noho ke i roto o tetahi atu iwi. Ko te kai-inoi e inoi ana kia kimihia kia hoatu he tika.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei atu ki te Whare:—
Ko nga paanga e whakaaturia ana i roto i taua pukapuka-inoi e eke ana ki nga take Maori ki te whenua a ki te whakapuaretia ano ko te mea tika ma tetahi Kooti e kaha ana e mohio ana e kimi taua mea. Engari i te mea kahore he korero i homai ki te aroaro o te Komiti, kahore e taea e te Komiti, te ki mehemea e pai ana kia whakapuaretia ano te tono a nga kai-inoi.
John Bryce,
Tumuaki.