MAORI LAND SETTLEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7252, 10 August 1907, Page 4

MAORI LAND SETTLEMENT.

In the House of Representatives on Thursday night, Mr Carroll moved the second reading of the Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment Bill, which provides that in addition to,the sums authorised by section 23 of the principal Act, the Colonial Treasurer may, in the manner provided by that section, raise a further sum'bf £50,000. The moneys so raised may be expended in the purchase of land in accordance with the provisions of the principal Act. The Minister said he had consulted the Maori members of the House and they had no objection to the Bill. At present the Government were, negotiating for the purchase of 205,016 acres in Auckland, 7953 acres in Hawke's Bay, 107,975 acres in Taranald and Wellington—a total of 320,000 acres. Over 100,000 acres had already been purchased and i up to the present £160,389 had been spent, and the sum of £96,574 remain- j in"- had been allocated for the purchase of lands for which the Government were already in negotiation. The sum mentioned in the Bill was for the completion of purchases already in contemplation. , Mr Massey said he hoped that when the Native Land Bill was brought down it would be at such an early period of the session as to enable it to be thoroughly discussed and gone into lv the House. Personally he thourrht the na-J tive land trouble was= the most imnQ#M p. Nt matter the Government hadJpJJjißj with at the present} time. - JTjjtfjg^H pf the Government was to tcu^fl^^^H f-or un. ami bring in &U&H^^^^^^H v/Quy^jlfljttlft; the nativj^^^^^^^^H ij-jj^^^^^fco^ thc^^j^^^^^^^^^H ra similar for the prec% W. C. Buchanan were re-elected direcHl^^Tne'' chairman (Mr W. G. Foster) said the work done during the year was about the same in volume as that of the previous year. The directors were pleased to report a steady, maintenance of the company's products. The chairman said the directors had for some time thought an annual conference of freezing companies, with the object of improving the conditions of the trade .would be beneficial, and it was hoped ere this that such a conference would have been held. The New Zealand companies, however, were not unanimous, and so far the matter was m abeyance.