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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 80a

Meeting at Galatea

Meeting at Galatea.

The following morning the meeting assembled. The proceedings were opened by the Ngatamana Tribe singing a song of welcome.

Hare Hare was the first speaker. He said,—Welcome to the Minister, father of the orphans I Welcome to the territory of Tuhoe, that you may see your people and also see the people of Ngatiwhare and Patuheuheu. We are all your tribes and under your mana. Come and give life to the people of this island. Gome and attend to the Ngatimamawa and Urewera. The chiefs here represent them all. They are collected here before you. Come in company with my boy, Timi Kara. He is the one whom I sent to your great House to represent our matters to you. I instructed him to go and bring forth the offspring of our Parliament. (Chant of welcome.)

Rewi said,—Welcome, my friend! Welcome, you who occupy the position of one seeing to the interests of both races! O my friend, heretofore up to the present time your consideration has been stronger on one side than on the other, but if from to-day you adjust your attention carefully over both parties, good may come, of it. Therefore, you will hear what these people have to say to you. It is well you have come here. As you are visiting other places you should hear what each kaianga has to say. Welcome! Come and listen to what each has to say. You need not reply here, you can reply from your Big House in Wellington, after you have heard what you hear to-day. I must thank you for coming to visit us.

Pihopa said,—Welcome! the Government, come to see me, come to see the Tuhoe who were always troublesome in the past. Come in friendship, come in love! This course was adopted by our Saviour. I have nothing to say on behalf of the Ngatimanawa. They were always friendly to the Government, but Tuhoe has been different. However, "Let the past bury itself." Bring us love I If it is love you are bringing, O Premier, come to rule the destinies of this Island, come and give us a bit of your attention. Do not confine it to one race. Welcome, O Premier I If you instruct well your child he may grow up to be a credit to you, but I may point out that he may prove as easily spoiled as a spoilt child. Welcome to you, Mr. Carroll!

Wi Patene said,—Welcome to the representative of the Government! Welcome also to the Hon. Mr. Carroll, your colleague! It is well you have come here. It is your duty to come and see the orphans of our race. Come and visit these isolated parts, Ruatahuna and Tuhoe—Tuhoe who have not borne a reputable name in the past. They have been the wild turbulent tribe of this island. Your coming may be the signal for everything to shine over the land. We have a lot to page 71 say to you. Welcome, O my friend, to Te Whaiti, at which place you are going to see the majestic hills and mountains! They remain, but the people have gone. You are like the snow which clothes the mountain-tops, which creates a freezing sensation. We hope you bring with you the sun that will take away that freezing sensation for a very long time, and that its warm influence will be felt over us. Again I say to you, welcome to Te Whaiti!

The Premier: To the tribes of the Native race here assembled, I offer you salutations, words of kindness, and good-feeling. My words, my salutations, and my kind greetings come to you from the whole of New Zealand. I am only expressing the wishes and feelings of over six hundred thousand pakehas when I say they send to you through me a very kind greeting and their good-fellowship. I have travelled a long distance to see you. I have encountered dangers and difficulties, but you are quite right when you say it is proper we should come and see you and meet you face to face. You are the remnant of a great race that formerly inhabited this island. It is well that those from a distance should come to see those who are here, so to speak, out of the world. It is right that we should bring you kind greetings and salutations. When your friends come from a distance to see you, when they come amongst you and let you know what is going on in other parts, it gladdens your hearts. When you feel lonely you go and visit your friends in other parts, and it gladdens the hearts of those you go to see. It is very pleasing to me to hear your welcome; it gladdens my heart, and will gladden the hearts of many others when I tell them of it. I am also very pleased to find the Ngatimanawa, Ngatiwhare, and Tuhoe present here to give me this welcome. It is very pleasant, and I am glad to be reminded that the Ngatimanawa have always been friendly towards the Government. Seeing the representative of the Government here to-day will remind them of that loyalty which they have always displayed towards the Queen and the Government. It must be also pleasing to the Ngatimanawa to find that the troubles of the past are not revived, and to see the Tuhoe with them welcoming the representative of the Government. You will be further pleased to hear from my lips that I have just passed the mountains after having seen the Tuhoe—a large number of them; and their chiefs have assured me, on behalf of Tuhoe, that peace and goodwill shall henceforth exist between you and the Government and between the two races. I have seen Natives from the east, west, north, and south, but when I met the Tuhoe and received from them this assurance, given in good faith to the Government, it made my heart rejoice, because I said the mist had been removed, and the light of day, the bright sunshine, was at last dawning upon them. The Ngatimanawa will be pleased, I know, when I tell them that the Tuhoe has decided to live under the British flag; they are going to have one at their settlement to remind them of their promise, and to cement the friendship that is to exist between themselves and the pakehas. The day is not far distant when the short distance between here and Ruatoki—the journey to which is fraught with much difficulty and personal risk, and which now takes so long a time to traverse—when you and the Tuhoe will be able to travel it with ease, and exchange visits with each other. One of your chiefs just now said we were like the snow; that when the snow appeared there was a freezing sensation, and he hoped we brought with us the sun, as the sun would take away that freezing sensation, and the snow would disappear for a very long season. There will be no freezing to-day. The sun shines above us all irrespective of race, colour, or surroundings. As that sun shines so do the Government wish to throw their protection over one and all of you in order that you may enjoy the warmth that belongs to you who belong to a noble race. It is our wish that you may increase and multiply, that you may prosper and live happy and contented. These are not empty words—not words only—it is not mere sentiment, it is the honest truth, spoken to you by one who desires to help you; not like the words spoken by one of your members last night, which were sarcastic. Still, he was very near the mark when he said that in the past the Prime Minister and the Native Minister had been like something kept in a glass case, afraid to meet the people and look at them; and when the Minister did come you saw a man like yourselves who had come to speak to you, only somewhat different in colour. I am the Minister for the Native race, not the Minister against the Native race, and there is no loss of dignity. I merely wish to speak to you as one friend should speak to another, because I come to see you to insure that our relative positions can be maintained with respect on both sides. It does not take mana from your rangatira because he sits with you and eats with you as one of yourselves. You still respect his mana—his position. I say it is impossible to govern you, it is impossible to help you, unless we know what your troubles are, and how we can best remove them once and for all. When we want to help the pakeha, when the Europeans are in trouble, when there is a cloud upon their minds, they command their rangatiras to send the Minister to come and see them to explain what the Government is doing, and they put their grievances before him. If the Minister did not do so, and try to remove those grievances, they would turn him and his Government out. They would say, "You are no good for us; we will get others." Now, the Native race have representatives in the Big House, in the Parliament House, in Wellington. It is true there are only four Native members in that House, but you have the same, if not a greater, proportion of representatives in the House than have the pakehas. It is to that Parliament you must look to redress your grievances. You must trust to that Parliament doing you and your race justice. You must see page 72 that I and my colleagues lead that House and those members aright. It is our desire to help them on the right path—the path that will lead to prosperity. We wish to see the Native race and hear what they desire. Therefore, you have now an opportunity to speak out your minds. Do not let your minds disguise your thought, but speak as men. If your tongues are forked they disguise the thoughts that are within your minds; then you yourselves will be to blame. The chief of the Ngatimanawa said he looked upon my colleague, Mr. Carroll, as a son; that he had sent him to Parliament, and hoped he would do him justice. All I can say is he deserves credit for sending so substantial and promising a son to Parliament. My colleague is a very old son from so young a father. There would be very great difficulty, if we put the two together, in saying which was the father and which was the son. But there is no doubt whatever that my taking this son of the Ngatimanawa with me on this my trip to the Native race in the different parts of the colony has been a great advantage to me, and will greatly benefit the Natives. I feel sure from that fact alone that you may look forward to good results. One of the chief speakers here to-day said that no doubt I was here to listen, and that you would not expect replies to the matters brought before me, but that I would reply when I got back to the Big House in Wellington. Up to the present I have heard nothing but your good and kind welcome. Your songs of welcome are still ringing pleasantly in my ears. I shall ever remember with pleasure our pleasant social meeting last night, but I still desire to listen to you and to know what your wants, requirements, wishes, and aspirations are. I must apologize for not being able to give you timely notice of my visit, because if I had done so your numbers here to-day would have been ten times as great as I see before me now; but, as the pakehas say, it is not always from the numbers that you get the greatest wisdom, and there are quite sufficient representatives of the Native race and of the different tribes to lay plainly before the Government, to let me know, your desires, how you are situated, and to let me help you. Once more I thank you for your kind welcome. I am your friend; speak, and I will listen.

Mehaka said,—Welcome, Timi Kara! I am glad to see you here to-day with our parent. A truce to greetings. Now to business. My first word is this: We cannot finish our business to day. You will have to give me until to-morrow. This is no small event, the fact of your presence here, considering the great office you hold in the colony. It is a marvel to us that you have exercised such fortitude and overcome so many difficulties to get here. Even your journey from Ruatoki to this place was no small task, and we can only congratulate ourselves that you have undertaken it to see us who live in these parts. I speak now on behalf of Patuheuheu. I have a grievance: I have land under cultivation, but I have no means by which I can convey the produce I reap from it to the European centres. I have now to make a request to you that a road be opened up from this side along the track you came yesterday so as to open up communication with Rotorua and Whakatane. It is time this place was connected with Ohinemutu by a good road. We should also be connected with Whakatane. The only outlets for my produce are Ohinemutu and Rotorua, and I should like to have an outlet by way of Whakatane, because it may so happen that I may get a better price for my produce at Whakatane than at Rotorua. Why should I be shut out from such a market? Another subject I will touch upon is the establishment of a school at Tahohi. I make this request to you to-day to establish a school there, and I want the Government to take for school purposes the two acres that I selected for a site. Enough on that subject. The third subject is a matter respecting Waiohau. This is a matter we took to Parliament when you, Mr. Carroll, also represented us in the House. If the Government can take this matter—that is to say, the dispute that existed and still exists between Mr. Piper and myself—into their hands, I would like it very much. When the survey of a certain road was going on the Government did not let the Natives know. These Natives might be excused for taking up a hostile attitude. I mention this because I think it is my duty to do so, and to save any misunderstanding, so that when the Government want to survey, ample notice should be given to us. We hope the Government will not think it was open hostility when we took up the attitude we did. You might also consider this: that my people had for a long time remained in obscurity in the recesses of their country, not going into the light, and that now on their first coming out they are eager to join with the new administration. They hear this would benefit them and offer facilities, and by doing this they should be encouraged. We are told the law will relieve the people. When the law confers benefits upon the people it should receive every encouragement. There is another matter I want to bring before you. There was a block of land investigated and sold to the Government. Now, some of my children were included in the titles as owners, and their interests were seized upon by the Government and transferred to the Public Trustee. I would like to have the administration of my own children's property. I should like their interests handed back to them, so that if they like to keep their property they can, and if they want to sell, I will sell for them. I now want to speak on behalf of the Patuheuheu people. They have always been a loyal tribe. Many took up arms on the side of the Government. Some of them are now tottering on the brink of eternity. Their time is brief in this world, and I think they should receive some consideration for their services in the past, which should not be forgotten. In conclusion, after pointing out the various matters to you, I would say I should like you, before this meeting is at an end, to show us how we can put all this to you.

page 73

The Premier: I will deal at once with the matters which have been brought under my notice by the last speaker. The first matter was the question of making a road through from here to Ruatoki so as to open up the country, give the people facilities for travelling and taking their produce to the best market. Now, the Government is favourable to opening up the country so as to let the light of day in amongst the Natives, and give the Native settlers the best means of communication. But at Ruatoki the Natives had a meeting lasting from the end of February to the 4th of March, the result of which was that they decided that they did not want any roads at all; they would not have them. I Was pained when I heard that, because they are standing in their own light; they are doing themselves an injury, and they are injuring you and their neighbours. Now, if the Government was to undertake to make a survey, and say, "We will put the road through in spite of you," then they might have cause to complain. But I have asked them to reconsider the matter, and explained to them that they were doing themselves an injury, and were injuring their neighbours as well. It would be well, I think, for those who want a road here, and to whose interest it would be, to consider the matter among yourselves. I met yesterday a large number of Natives going across the hill—and the road is almost dangerous to life, independent of the inconvenience, and you ought to seriously consider this matter amongst yourselves. The Government is favourable to the construction of the road-right through, and the construction thereof would find work for the Natives which would help them very much. There would be no evil effects if the road were made. It would not take the land, and it would not give the Government any greater power, but would give greater facilities to the Natives for travelling and conveying their produce to the market, and would open up the country to the world. Parliament will meet next June. We have some money now, and if that money is not taken for that work now, it will not be done perhaps for very many years. If you had better roads, the people who govern you would come to see you often. It is almost dangerous to life to come by the road you have at the present time. In fact, one of our party nearly lost his life last night. Talk, the matter over amongst yourselves now, and let me know in time, so that I can reserve some money for that road, and then I can, when making that road, see that the different hapus have their share in making it. In regard to road-making and laying off roads, I listened with great attention to the remarks made to the effect that no notice had been given of the intention to survey the roads. Now, from this day forward I will give instructions that, in laying off roads, notice must be given to the Natives of the intention to do so before the surveyors are sent upon the ground. That will prevent any ill-feeling being engendered, and it would not cost anything. If it was European land the Europeans would know what was intended to be done, and they would receive notice. So my words are spoken. I will assist the Natives in that respect, and will see they are treated the same as the pakehas, and get due notice. Now, as regards the school. A letter has been received about it, but some question was asked about the titles to the land, and what block it was on. How many children are there?

The Natives: There are thirty-two at the school now, and the land is outside the Waiohau Block.

The Premier: My heart gladdens when I hear you ask for a school, and that you have devoted land for it. You ask for the benefits of civilisation. You ask that your children should be put upon the same footing as the European children. Your forefathers arranged that your children should have these advantages, and I will see that the boon is granted to you permanently. I want to point out one thing to you, however, and that is, that it is far better to have one large school than to have two or three small ones, always providing that the distance is not too great for the children to go to it; but your request is reasonable, because there is a river to cross, and there are no roads, and the little children could not travel so far under those circumstances. I now come to the next subject—the question in dispute between Mr. Piper and your tribe as regards this land. The matter has not come before me officially, and I am therefore not in a position to give you a definite answer to-day. I must make myself master of the details of the case, and deal with it accordingly. But Mr. Carroll tells me that an injustice has been done. On my return to Wellington I will look into the matter personally, and if, after going carefully through the papers, I find that an injustice has been done, then I say the wrong shall be removed. I believe the wrong done in the first place was not done by Mr. Piper, but that you are suffering from the wrong done by others. But all the same, if the land has been wrongfully taken from the proper owners, that wrong should be redressed. I believe the late Government did offer, if you took it to the Supreme Court, to assist you with money to get it through the Court, but you were led to take a course advocated by one of your own race. However, I will look into it, and if I can adjust the matter for you, as between the parties, I shall be only too glad to put it right. As regards the next question—the sale of the land, and your children's interest being handed over to the Public Trustee—that is the law, and the law being there, I cannot interfere. Now, what led to that law being passed was that there were some bad parents and trustees who did away with the children's interests, and when the children wanted their money it was all gone. Then it was said that the Public Trustee should deal with all such lands. I do not wish to cast any reflection upon you, because I believe you are good parents; but there are some bad parents who have wronged page 74 their own children. If we could in some instances give a discretionary power—that is, where we found the parents were good and competent to look after the interests of their own children—I think that is a matter worthy of consideration. Now, as regards the destitution of the Potuheuheu Tribe, I admit tie force of your argument, that, having stood loyally and true to the Queen, and being now in a desttute condition, their case is one where the Government should assist, so that they should not be in want. I should be deeply pained if I thought there existed any cases of that kind, where the old people were destitute or in want. There is a fund at my disposal out of which I can alleviate suffering of that kind. It would be better, therefore, for the hapu to meet and consult amongst themselves, and if there are one or two extreme cases, they might send in their recommendations to me so that I might consider them. I will leave that to you, relying upon your being truthful n what you represent to me. Nothing would give me more pain than to think that those who had been friends of the Government were left in want in their old age. I do not wish that, and will not let be if it is in my power to prevent it. Rest assured, you will not appeal to me in vain on behalf of your old and destitute people. Knowing as I do your kind feeling and the hospitality and assistance you render to your own race, I also know that you would not mention this matter if there were not some cases of destitution amongst you. I shall expect to hear from you when I get back to the Big House. I have now dealt with all the subjects that have been brought under my notice. We have got to ride to Te Whaiti to-night, and I should feel grateful if you would send some one on ahead to prepare a camp for us, and we could then stop a little later with you But it would not do to run the risk of injuring any one of our party through wire fences. Considering that I scale 2001b. it would be rather a heavy fall for me if I came to the ground. If I can get to my destination before nightfall I shall be satisfied. I therefore hope you will be is brief as possible; but, at the same time, I want you to let me know the several matters you wish me to have attended to; but be as brief as possible.

Wharehuia said,—Speaking on behalf of the Ngatimanawa, in regard to the Whirinaki Block, we want that block subdivided, because we are selling it to the Government. We want the Court to go on with that block. The Ngatimanawa was told that the Public Trustee had control of the interests of their children. Very well, if we cannot manage it, we will hand it over to the Public Trustee. But I went to Rotorua, and found the same rule was not observed there. The people who would not hand over their land to the Public Trustee were allowed to sell as they liked. I wish you to look into this matter. There is no money for the Public Trustee to administer.

The Premier: I will do so, and see what can be done.

Wharehuia: The Ngatimanawa people have always been identified with the Government, and have never attempted any departure. I have nothing else to say. We have always acted with the Government, and intend to do so.

Te Waia: Salutations to you and those with you under the rule and sovereignty of our Most Gracious Majesty the Queen! (Song of welcome.) After hearing you speak to-day, and after taking notes of what was said on both sides, the meeting has been characterized by us as satisfactory to both parties. The meeting has been very satisfactory. The song you have heard was a song of triumph in the olden times. It was composed ages ago by our forefathers, and was sung on occasions like this, where everything terminated satisfactorily.

Hare Hare (head chief of the tribe): I am very pleased indeed at the way in which you replied to the subjects brought before you. On behalf of the Ngatimanawa I can only repeat, through the co-operation of the Ngatimanawa and Ngatiwhare, this country is now opened up. These persons I have just mentioned are all that are left of the older generations of the Ngatimanawa people. We are their descendants. We are the younger generation. We have never been in receipt of any special favours, and have never asked for any. The Ngatimanawa have never received any favours from the Queen, nor have they received appointments as assessors. All the surveys in this country were effected by the Ngatimanawa in obedience to the behest of the Government against all opposition; and every survey we have carried through successfully. All this land you see here was handed over unconditionally to the Government. We always acted under the instructions of the Government. I have carried out roads, surveys, land-courts, leases, and sales. Mine is only a small hapu. I have always stuck to the Queen, and I have been defended by the Queen; I have always been supported by her. Now, this is my application to you; I have told you I have always stuck to the Queen, and never troubled her much, or the Government either; but I am going to make this application to you. I want Te Whaiti surveyed off, and my own position defined. The Ngatimanawa is distinct from the Tuhoe. I do not want them mixed up with the others. I do not want the Tuhoe ring, or territorial boundary, as it is styled. I want my land dealt with distinctly from the others. 88 acres were given by the Government to my people out of that coast-line. That land is now in the hands of the Europeans. We want the Government to give effect to the kindness of the days of yore, and return us that gift. I take this opportunity of bringing this matter before you, because we know there is always an uncertainty that concerns everything, and you may be out of office by and by. So while you are in office I would like to page 75 have the thing settled. This was an absolute gift by the Government to ourselves, which was never received. Here is another matter: I collected a subscription towards the cost of making the road through my country. That money was in the hands of the Government agent. I collected that money with my own hands to form this road. Now, I ask the Government to make this road, which you will travel over, wider. It is my right; I have done so much, and I ask the Government to widen that road so that my carts can go through. There is another thing I would point out to you: By doing this you would tap the huge totara-forests. The timber trade would be developed, and would go in a great measure to Rotorua. This would tend to benefit, not only ourselves, but everybody. That would be the result, and I strongly urge upon you the necessity of granting my request by widening this road. This is another matter: I want the Government to lease all this land which the Court has reserved for the Ngatimanawa in different parts, and give me the profit. As it is I can do nothing with it. I want you to give effect to all my requests now that you are a Minister. I do not want to mince matters. I have land over these ranges. I want to sell it to the Government. We have made many applications to the Government, but never received any replies to our communications. I shall cease now; I do not want to overburden you.

The Premier: It is just as well that you have reminded me that nothing has been done at all by the Government for you, and that no position of profit has ever been given to you. I can only express my regret that the services rendered by you have not been recognised sooner, and your application has all the greater weight because, notwithstanding all this neglect, you have still stood a firm friend of the Government. I know it must hurt your feeling sometimes when you see others, who have not at all times been friends of the Government, receiving favours; it must be painful to you, and it makes the obligation all the greater. But, as I said before, send to me at once, stating in what way you think help can be given, and that help shall be given. I shall expect to hear from you when I get back, and I give you this assurance: that your communication shall not be treated as in the past,' but I will attend to it. Any promises I make I always perform. As regards the survey at Te Whaiti: At Ruatoki they objected to its being surveyed, and passed resolutions accordingly, and wanted me to s;op all surveys, but I told them I would hear what you had to say before I would give a decision. I also told them that these people, who did not want to know what they claimed, would weaken their position if they did not want to know what they had got. If it belongs to them, and they have an interest there, why do not they find it out, so that every man could know what he owns? I have told them the Government can do it whether they like it or not. It is in the interest of the Native owners to know what they really possess. What belongs to them let them keep, and what belongs to you you are entitled to have and do as you like with. They know very well this, that all the country does not belong to them, and why should they assume a "dog-in-the-manger" attitude, doing nothing with it themselves and trying to prevent you from doing anything with it? I say it weakens their case. Well, so that neither case shall be prejudiced, the Government, which is a strong friend of both parties, wishes the two parties to come to a decision on this matter—to decide what is to be done. I will not decide to-day, but you know my opinion. I believe it is in the interest of all concerned to have the titles to the whole of the land ascertained, so that we may know who it belongs to. They are living in poverty and want to keep you in the same condition. You simply have the land to look at, but in the meantime you are dying off. This unfortunate state of affairs must be stopped, and the sooner it is stopped the better it will be for all concerned. I will say nothing further on that subject, because I have to speak to others that are interested as well as you. I am a fair man, and want to do what is right after hearing all that is said on both sides. Touching the 88 acres promised by the Government, I am not aware of any promise; but I will take your word for it shall have the particulars ascertained as to how the matter stands and whether anything can be done, and by what right Mr. Burt is now occupying it. Where I find your word verified by the record, the promise made by the Government, to the friendly Natives especially, ought, in my opinion, to be performed. I will therefore inquire into this on my return to Wellington. You might also write to me giving the particulars as to when the promise was made, together with the details of the circumstances, so so that I may trace the history of it. You will find this will not be like many letters you have sent to other Governments. You will find your letters will be attended to. Touching the next question, that you had contributed money for a road to Te Whaiti. That will be another reason why that land should be dealt with, because the road, of course, will go in that direction. The fact of your having spent your money makes the claim stronger that the Government should do something. Before I go to sleep to-night I shall probably know that there is a reason for making a road there. I tell you I am favourable to this being done in this country, and I am sure great benefits will result to both races by the opening up of these roads, and I will recommend to the Minister of Lands when I go back to Wellington that this road be improved and widened. Nothing can be done until Parliament votes the money for it, but I will bring it up before the Government, so that appropriations for the purpose may be made on the next year's estimates. I hope the Tuhoe will not object page 76 to that road the same as they have to the other. They do not often go that way, but they might certainly give you, who want to bring your produce to market, that convenience without being selfish and trying to stop it. It would strengthen my hands, and the hands of the Government, if you would send a joint request to have that road widened. I think I have dealt with all the main questions mentioned by you. As regards leasing and selling land to the Government, Parliament, has passed a law under which a majority of the owners can hand their land over to us to dispose of. All you have got to do is to send me a resolution carried by a majority of the owners, and I will undertake that the Government will sell for you. Send me particulars by letter of the land you want us to deal with, so that I can take the first steps necessary to have it done for you, and we will deal with it expeditiously; and you will get the best value to be got for this land. I have nothing further to say but to express my pleasure at having heard from you what your desires are, and that your requests are so reasonable.

Pihopa said,—I have no objection to the road, but, still, I must side with the tribal resolutions about the boundary; but the Minister has answered all the questions. I hail with pleasure what has been decided upon—that certain chiefs of the Tuhoe should go to Wellington and confer with the Government. Whatever is said in Wellington we cannot take exception to.

Maramu said,—The 88 acres mentioned by Hare Hare—that matter was put before Mr. Cadman; whether it will come to anything or not I do not know; but I see by the Gazette that the Court sits at Whakatane this month, and probably it will be brought up then. There is another matter I would like to draw your attention to. These people have suffered a great deal owing to the long distance they have to travel to attend the Native Land Courts. The subject of old soldiers' claims has been dealt with by other speakers. You have asked for our grievances to be submitted to you. There is one thing pressing very heavily upon us, and that is the mode of dealing with applications for rehearings. I refer to the sitting of the Court which inquires into the applications of those who are dissatisfied with the decision of the Native Land Court. In many cases where a judgment is given by the Native Land Court, the Court of Inquiry orders a rehearing, and the second Court gives the same judgment as the first. This creates inconvenience, and time is wasted. I know it is the law, and you cannot go against it; but what I ask is that you should get the law amended. The procedure could be much simplified. Argument has first to be heard as to whether there should be a Court; and why not settle then whether there should be a rehearing or not? If there are 100 European members in Parliament, there should be 100 Native members also. In administering the affairs of the country the Europeans want it all one way and the Maoris the other. Let there be two Native Ministers, and let both work it out.

The Premier: I hope you will not think me discourteous, but if you have anything further to say and have not time to say it now, write it down and send it to Wellington. I will now say a few words with respect to what the last speaker touched on. I quite concur with him that the Courts ought to be brought closer to where the majority of the people who own land are located. Great evils result from bringing the Natives into the large towns, and I intend for the future to bring the Courts as far as I can to where the Native owners whose land is going through the Court are located. I told the Tuhoe the same. The next question is the question of rehearings. I have come to the conclusion that the law as at present in force with regard to rehearings is very bad indeed, and it is our intention to alter it. I quite agree that when an application has been made and people claim that an error has been committed, in that case only there should be a rehearing by way of appeal. We do not have the same law applied to Europeans, and why it should be made to apply to the Maoris I cannot imagine. We wish so far as practicable to put the law as regards the Natives on the same footing as it applies to the Europeans. I have long felt that a great injustice has been done to the Natives by these rehearings, and expenses incurred by them through defects in the law. I will say nothing more now, but conclude by expressing to one and all our friendship and very good wishes, and the hope that the good feeling that now exists will ever continue, and that we shall be able to look back with pleasure to our meeting to-day. I hope you will be able to look back with pleasure to the time when the Prime Minister came amongst you Salutations, and farewell! Greetings to you all assembled!