NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 72, 18 December 1907, Page 9

NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

Uivro-DATE FARMING BY MAORIS. (ET • TEI.EGIUP.IT—SPECIAI, .COEEESrONDENT.) - Auckland,. December 16. Sir' Robert Stout; tho Chief Justice, was n passenger to 'Auckland I ''by; the Zealandia yest ter§ay' I frpm" Gisborne, whore ho has. lately Holdingy-sitfcirigs of , the Native Lands .Commission in conjunction' with ; . Mr. A. T. Ngota,-; M.P. Sir Robert will proceed tomorrow to Rotorua, whoro he will open sittingsof the Commission on Thursday for the purpose of dealing with Native lands in that and adjacpnt districts, which cpmo within the scopo. of the Commission's . investigations. Ho. will bo joined later on by Mr. Ngata, who ha 3 remained 111 the East Coast district for ; the purposo of holding sittings in connection- with some remaining lands in that distriot. Sir Robert will spend tho Christmas holidays ,at Rotorua, whero the sittings of the; Commission will bo resumed in tho New Year., It is hoped to get through all tho Rotorua business in a month or flvo weeks. Sittings of tho Commission will then bo held at Wanganui, after which, probably sortm ttmo' in fobruary and March, furthor sittings-will bo held in the King Country. 'last evening Sir Robert Stout expressed himself in very favourable terms regarding tho industry of the . East Coast Natives: "Thoy-.manage their farms oxcellontly," ho said. "/and soveral of thorn -havo up-to-date wool iiheds and other equipments, quite equal to' any possessed by Europeans." Such modern appliances as shearing machines and oil on(;ines are, he added, to bo found 011 soino of itheso 'farms, and on tho estate of Mr; -Ngata, M.l'., which is managed by his .'.'.brother, thero is a .modern experimental station, wherotho testing of different varieties of-potatoes,-seeds, manure, etc., lis carried on on up-to-date lines. Sir Robert regards,what, is tcT;bo seen in tho .East, Coast district'as a Valuable object lesson as to tho furture favourable'possibilities of Maoris as tillers of tho soil