MAORI LAND LAWS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20344, 17 September 1931, Page 13

MAORI LAND LAWS.

♦ SIMPLIFICATION AND CONSOLIDATION. HILL BEFORE HOUSE. [Fray Oca Pabluihsxtuit Rbvortbr.j WELLINGTON, September 16. Tiio simplification of tiio Maori land 1 laws of New Zealand is aimed at by tho Native Lauii Bill which was introduced into the Houso of Represontalives tiiis crening and read a first i iiae. ' i Tlie Dili consolidates tho provisions L'l-jif twenty-three Acts and either conRi dates or repeals more than 1150 jketioas, 850 of which deal with gennative land and tho remainder •fjith adjustments ordinarily termed '•whing-up clauses. If passed as drawn it will bo the largest single Act on the Itatate Book of the Dominion. ' This measure, which contains 567 . Awd, in addition to being a consolii [lU&m of the law affecting native .Mb passed during the past twenty- ' *]«• years, is also a co-ordination and 4*9*tment of various sections which ffMm sod experience havo shown to be i !<itsftr inconsistent repetition or doubt- ' Jo| in their application. .(■'He general principles of tho Native ?lMd Act, 1900, liavo been retained. . rjtihwfc a dozen sections of this Act hare ,'fau dropped because they are spent or ifiin proved impracticable in their . «per»tioif Tiio provision for classify--fejand now under tho Land Act has ■JjSk brought up to date, and the 1912 ■"fsKt, vluch provided for Maoris handd&ll ®wr their lands for salo by auchim been dropped. itylW Most important consolidation IgpttMaw the 1913 Act, providing for a ■wptor of freehold land described by |Srißnttter as a kind of "doomsday ifpSr* to bo kept at the head office. ■Mill register, tho Minister said, was jHI to bo misleading, since the Maoris fSltd different names for one person. fßff register has. therefore, been drop"Rmß> '*» has been also the provision for M jßMteral succession order, which is held scarcely practicable, as succession jHijjitt Maori deponds upon so many that, no general rule can aSgi applied Another provision in the jjgpP Act ras when successors were jflpamiM Innd r*oi'M lip sold Ivv BSfpfty wittaut. the consent of the This was not used and is MHBEiirt r# *ho 'options in +ho Ant f ron'. jfflffiMo 1930 wb : o'i havo bp<3n dronj>ed ■Mr ♦*» v*r m-ttern or other mutter? xHjifiueh f'o has been spent.