NATIVE LAND COMMISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 149, 24 June 1908, Page 9

NATIVE LAND COMMISSION.

A VALUABLE WOEK. fl3y Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. """ "The Native Land Commission is doing fery good work," remarked tbe Native Minister to-day. "Its operations are extensive and 'comprehensive, covering the whole of tbe North Island; but in some few cases' there has been a sligbt difficulty. The Native Land Settlement Act of last session provided that where native land was brought under its operation the board in which it was vested should divide it into two equal portions, one-half for sale and the other half for leasing, and that is where some difficulty has teen experienced. In most cases the areas which have come under the purview of the Commission have lent themselves more or less readily to such a division, but there have been other cases in which, tbe division was not so easy. Casee have occurred in which it was obviously to the interests of the native owners to lease wholly or sell right 'out, and the operation of the Act has disclosed the ■fact'that more elasticity is required in this direction."

Continuing, the Native Minister remarked that from his own observation ariH "knowledge the Commission -was doing most valuable work. It was bringing large areas of lahdTnEb tbe region of the possibility of settlement, which previously were lying idle. "It is," he added, "not only the actual settlement of the country that the Com-inission-b-as been endeavouring to effect, but the much wider field of the utilisation of areas which were formerly waste lands, the improvement of the natives themselves, and the inculcation among them of habits of industry."

It was pointed out to the Minister that in last week's Gazette a large number of areas were mentioned in regard to which prrvftte dealings were prohibited. That, he said, was to leave the road perfectly- clear for the work of the Commission, otherwise complications might arise through rfa-ima from private indiivi<ftial3, based on the fact that they had entered intoiiegotiations in regard to the land. The Gazette notice "prohibiting ■, dealings in those particular blocks would {prevent any such possibility arising. Generally speaking, the Minister appeared perfectly satisfied with the progress made in regard to native land settlejment.