THE LOCKED UP NATIVE LANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 148, 23 June 1908, Page 5

THE LOCKED UP NATIVE LANDS.

INTERVIEW WTTH SCR BOBKRI : ; . , _ STOUT. . ' ■■■■■■■■.. '.. "an article which appeared iix the "Auckland" Star" last evenirig, referenda was made to the native land problem as it applied more particularly to the Kaiwh» County and the King ConhtryV Tlie article ■ stated tfcat t»' miles of the frontage to the Kawhia harbour was enin the possession of the .natives, and that in the county itself over 100,000 acres of,. the -choicest land was '"lying idle "and ■unproductive; ■'' •-' : V : / In connection with thi3 statement, a representative pi: the "Aijeldand asked the Chairman of t% JJative' Lands (Commission, Sir; Robert Stout, hia* opiit ion; , said t&at the .Commission had" sent' in", a report dealing with the King Country and Kawhia last week, and it; would no. doubt be. published "ehordy by^!ih^G<TOrniment ; wheh;Parliar v ".':: i ■ -' :} "I said Sir Robert, ''that in. Kawhia County there are about acres of native land, but of quantity about 45,000 acres is that is, the native title has not yet been ascertained with regard to it. Nothing can.'.ibp '^one'with'that land.by t£e Cqmmission until the title has been ascerr tamed. lie'Cpaiinission has already dealt; with 20,000 j acres of native land outside of the papatutu'blocks to which I have, referred, and the Europijan and Crown lands at present in occupation 1a at least; , 140,000- acres of that county. It ehonld also be noted that a consider; able area of the native viands ■ there ;ie composed of pure sandhills, or if not, is hknd of euch a character as to be unSuitable for settlement. It is estimated thab the *Te«i of the land such as I have just described is about 10,000 acres. The Commiesion has also sent in a report dealing with the land at Te Kuiti and in the King Country. It will be seen from! that report that a vast area of native lands .has either been leased to Europeans, or else that the Maoris are willing: to lease it and-'that they are not keeping for themselves any large area. In Rohepotae, again, I : suppose that a quarter of; a million acres of land have been leased to Europeans. : I may.' say' that, the present position at Kawhia is thai the Maoris, including the -papatupu' blocks, do not hold as . much land. per head *s do the Europeans settled there.?.