THE CROWN, THE TREATY, AND THE HAURAKI TRIBES, 1880–1980

Adding to the perception of the people based in the area that they had been denied the fruits of the growth in agricultural wealth was an oftimes ruthless attitude amongst officials in the Public Works Department, and in wider Government, to the lands that had remained to Maori after the initial round of purchases under the Maori Lands Settlement Act 1905 and compulsory acquisition under the Public Works Act 1908. The Government continued to apply public works legislation in the district as it saw fit. Although takings were purportedly for drainage purposes, the ends to that goal continued to be widely interpreted and might include the acquisition of Maori land to give in compensation to a Pakeha farmer whose land had been taken, to comply with the plans of settlement schemes, for departmental workshops, or because the presence of a `native owned' section was seen as 'detrimental' to the prosperity of the area. Warnings that the Maori concerned had little other land left held little weight with officials in the Public Works Department and the Department of Lands and Survey who invariably answered that the lands were absolutely required for development projects.

Chapter v: Hauraki Land and Rates, 1870–1970

The fifth chapter discusses the issue of rates. It is argued here that problems surrounding the rating of Maori land should be viewed in the light of the wider questions of place of Maori in New Zealand society and their lack of representation in local government. The genesis of a developing divergence in attitude to the contribution and responsibilities of Maori landowners is described. On the one hand Maori had no voice in the local bodies which levied rates and dictated the construction of local works and roads, but on the other were increasingly expected, in the last quarter of the century, to 'bear their share' of the financial burden of developing the infrastructure. Maori, for their part, could not see why their lands should be suddenly subject to taxes, while in their view, inadequate recognition had been given to their contribution in terms of the cheap price of their land and of gifts of sites for roads, schools and other public purposes. As title fragmented, and the Government interposed itself in the management of lands, Maori argued that they should not be liable to rates until the 'handicaps' had been removed and their full powers of control restored.

Rating laws and Maori land

At Thames, Ngati Maru reacted to public works projects and the possibility of being taxed by negotiating with the County Council directly, arranging by written deed that they would allow the county road to Paeroa to go through as far as Hikutaia but that: `The Natives are not now or at any time to pay rates or the generations succeeding them.' They reserved, too, the right to withdraw their consent to right of way if that agreement should be broken. In their eyes, that agreement embodied a principle of partnership which continued to hold authority well into the twentieth century, but the Government accorded it a much lesser value. At first it honoured the exception largely by default of general administration rather than in acknowledgement of the right of Maori to strike such a bargain: thereafter, only at the absolute insistence of the Hauraki iwi.

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