No. 281.—Petition of Hoani Ruru and 89 Others.
Petitioners pray that Te Kooti may not be allowed to enter Turanga, Gisborne, on account of his misdeeds in that place formerly.
I am directed to report as follows: That the Committee can only reiterate the report made on the petition of Te Hautakuru this session, which is as follows: "That the Committee fully sympathizes with the petitioners, and believes they suffer a severe hardship through the monthly meetings of of Te Kooti's followers at their various settlements, resulting as it does in estranging families, disturbing the tranquillity of settlement, impoverishing the people by a wholesale consumption of their food, and exhausting all their resources. It ia therefore recommended that the Government will do their utmost to prevent such meetings, by introducing such legislation as shall enable the Government to forbid what is a deliberate and crafty system of 'loafing' upon the resources of the thrifty and well-disposed Natives."