the Crown. The Crown also acquired land by negotiation under the Public Works Act for waterworks and railway, and compensation was paid for both. The Crown also acquired the streets of Te Aroha for public use under the Te Aroha Township Act 1882. We have noted the garbled local mythology about ‘gifts’ by the Mokena and Lipsey families, but also note that some did take place. We note that, on George Lipsey’s own statement, he was securing the growth of Te Aroha township on family land, indeed an astute investment.

In the 1900s, control of the Mokena and Lipsey family estate slipped out of their hands and the primary factor appears to be debt. We do not have information about the reasons the owners of the balance area of section 15 sold their interests to the Crown in 1902. We do know that as early as 1901 both Ani and Akuhata Lipsey were trying to raise loans with the Native Land Purchase Office against their land interests. Ani, now Mrs Edwards, said it was for investment in her husband’s drapery business and she was loaned £750. We were told that Akuhata’s debts arose from his gambling problem, and he was twice bankrupted, first in 1903 and again in later years. In early 1902 Ema Lipsey was seeking a loan to support her son after his application was first declined, but in late 1903 he did receive a loan of £750. In 1901, Patrick Sheridan of the Native Land Purchase Department in a file note had recorded that George Lipsey was ‘dead-against’ his family alienating land, but they were ‘getting beyond his control’.⁸¹ Because they were both now of age, he could not prevent them contracting for loans and selling their land interests. The first sales of part of section 17 in 1905 by Ani and Akuhata were to pay off these loans and other debts. In 1906, Ema Lipsey died leaving debts, but we have no information about these. The next group of transactions in 1907 were to settle her debts, and there were more sales too. George Lipsey died in 1913 and the remaining lands in section 17 were sold by 1917.

The claimants have suggested that the Crown failed to protect their interests by purchasing all these lands. Certainly, the Crown was in an ambivalent position as the administrator of Te Aroha township mining tenures and as purchaser of the land. Crown officials were anxious to prevent private speculators acquiring interests and were protective to that extent. Sections 15 and 17 were subject to restrictions on alienation by sale or by lease longer than 21 years. There is evidence that Crown officials did attempt to retain the land for Maori, opposed the removal of restrictions, and debated their role. The early attempts by the Lipseys to seek loans were turned down by the Native Land Purchase Department and only granted in much reduced amounts when it was suggested private lenders, possibly speculators, would step in. Some officials were of the opinion that the Crown should acquire all of Te Aroha township land to keep out private investors, and put this option ahead of protecting the ownership of Maori land for future generations. However, if people get themselves into financial difficulties for whatever reason, and sale of their land is their only option, then we must ask what is the responsibility of the Crown toward Maori, given

81. Ibid, pp 50-53