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No. 197.—Petition of Meiha Keepa Rangihiwinui and 278 Others (No. 2).
Petitioners express alarm at lawyers' costs in the Native Land Court, and state that several blocks have been swallowed by these expenses. They pray that lawyers should be prohibited from practising in Land Courts, and in support of their petition refer to a case at the Waikato, where a block of 12,000 acres was sold for £3,600, whilst the charges against it were £3,700, leaving a debit to the Natives concerned of £100.
I am directed to report as follows:—
That, as there is now a Bill under the consideration of Parliament dealing with the Native Land Court and the employment of solicitors and agents therein, the Committee would call the immediate attention of Government to this petition.
[Translation.]
No. 197.—Pukapuka-inoi a Meiha Keepa Rangihiwinui me etahi atu e 278 (Nama 2).
Kua ahua wehi rawa nga kai-pitihana i te nui o nga utu a nga roia i roto i te Kooti Whenua Maori, e mea ana kua pau rawa etahi poraka i nga utu ma ratou. E inoi ana ratou kia whakakorea nga mahi a nga roia i roto i te Kooti Whenua Maori, e whakaatu ana hoki i tetahi keehi he, tautoko i ta ratou pitihana, ko tetahi poraka whenua i Waikato 12,000 eka i hokona mo nga moni e £3,600 ko nga utu mo te whakahaeretanga i taua whenua i tae ki te £3,700 waiho iho hei utu atu ano ma nga Maori £100.
Kua whakahaua ahau kia ki penei:—
No te mea tenei tetahi Pire te whakaarohia nei e te Paremete hei whakahaere i nga Kooti Whenua Maori hei whakatu hoki i etahi kai-tiaki mo aua whenua, kua, whakahau te Komiti kia whakaaro te Kawanatanga ki tenei pitihana.