NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 February 1908, Page 3

NATIVE LANDS.

HOW IT KEEPS' A PLACE BACK. KAWIIIA,AS AN .OBJECT-LESSON. A few years ago Kawliia was tallied about as a place that was going to grow beyond the wildest dreams of the -land > speculator. Its fertile back country was to bo covered with'crops, herds, and flocks, and punctured with mines. Its harbour was to be crowded .with shipping, its streets humming with trade, its hillsides brightened with the villas of merchant princes. 'But to-day Kawliia romains pretty much as it was before it was boomed at all. True, there has been some progress, but the mountains of tall talk have brought forth but a very little mouso of actual achievement—or, to oxehange the olassic for the American metaphor, the hot air that Was . so freely -generated - has raised Kawliia -to no. commanding height of prosperity.'- '' Native 'land ownership -is. ' usually assigned as "the caiiso of this disappointment. Mastcrless Acres. ' • Said a gentleman, ■ who . lately visited the district, to a Dominion reporter:-- It was anticipated.that the'district would nave made great progress,,, but it is stilr retarded by thc : iowriership of .much' of the land not yet being ascertained.A large stretch of coun-try'immediately-.'adjoining the .harbour is owned by Natives, and it is impossible to obtain a lease of this land, because not even the.Natives themselves know just who the - ownors Somo'of tho'best'blocks ha^e a bund. v oven two hundred owners, who do not live in the district, and whose claims and interests are still undetermined. The : Government lias acquired some land in vaiious' parts of' the district,- iiild lias ■ leased it ori different, t.onures, the occupation, with right of purchase, being' tho most in favour witH' the settlors. The Oparau Valley conprincipally \of-<Crown land , held .under . that: tenure. ~ , A Grievance. .. " The' Native' Land. Cinirt is'at Work'upon tho individualisation of titles, and in this connection the Natives have, a grievance just ■ now. After sitting for a week at. Kawliia, tho Court, under Judge Gilfeddcr, ;atljcurned, to Otorohanga, and tho Kawhia Natives, who were concerned in the cases that still had- to come before it, wero .obliged to-journoy to Ofcorohanga and Jstay,, tliero at considerable expenso while waiting for their, cases to bo dealt with. . " Onq very largo.'block of land that is still locked up-in communal Native, ownership is the Matakowliai block,.' 0f'45,000' acres. It 'is -. considered' that very great: benefit would 1 result,-, to .''tho.; neighbourhood if - a road to Hamilton wero made'' through this'block. Other, areas that are tied up in the same way.'are ; tho Taumatatotar'a • Block (11,000 .acres), and the Taharoa Block (6000 acres). Tho Law's Delay. " Tho"Court--from' time to time clears up tho titles to some of tho land. The Natives generally' do. not wish to sell'tlio land, but they prefer to retain what they can use,and lease the rost to settler's at rentals based upon a fair valuation.' This is.the best plan for them, ,as -thoy ; cannot spend tho : whole,of their substance.'-'' Thoy 1 complain, however, that in cases where'such arrangements aro mado tho proceedings ■ are often retarded by delays in' tho office of tho'Commissioner of Crown,' Lands for the district, who lias to approve of tho leases. ■ Kawhia's Charms. "Still, in spito of all tho tho district is making-somo ; progress.,' -'.This is -evidenced by the.,fact7 that;, thoi Northern Steamship Company is about'to ])iit an' additional steamer oil. tho Aucklnnd-Kawhia-Wai-'tara service. 'Die township is still woefully 'behindhand in such matters ns roads and 'drainage. But it has. cliarnis,that aro,,all its. : own. There is its beau'tifurharbour teeming ,with fish, the. To Puia hot springs oil. tho beach, and the noblo group of poliutu-" kawa trees overlooking the spot whoro tradition says tho AVainui canoe was landed. Along tho harbour frontago of tho Maiigaroa Blc<£ aro the finest groups of treo ferns I have over -.seoii. It has been suggested that tho Government should acquiro that spot as a scenic rcservo."

' SETTLERS AND' SETTLEMENT-. ■ During his recent visit to the East Coa*t ( the Hon. James Carroll (Native Minister)made two' trips inland", distinct from, those in which he accompanied the Hon. It. M'Nab and tho Hon. G. Eowlds. He visited parts that he had-not seen for many years.'. It was wonderful,, said the Minister,/.to note the settlement that had been proceeding on all sides. Both Natives and Europeans had taken part in this pioneering work, but,it was principally, the. Europeans lie referred to. Tho busli 'was'rapidly being felled and trackless wilds were being converted into homestea!ds, homesteads, that at present were in the rough stage, but which would soon be the centres of up-to-date prosperous settlements;. These .pioneers were fighting, against hardships ; they had poor means of access, and packed most of their • supplies, cheerfully bore their lot owing to the splendid .results of their work. This settlement was going on under old Acts. Natives also .wore, showing, anxiety to. follow the exainplo of' tho . Europeans, but they ;Jiad not the same advantages, and wero awaiting the completion of thq work of the Native Commission and of the Land Boards to know their areas. In some cases they were actually preparing to commence operations. . The Royal Commission was, fast accomplishing . its. .ilvdrki the . Courts and: Land Boards "were also, doing. their utmost to complete, titles. . Natives'and Europeans were anxious to get access to some or the big blocks. There were' -magnificent' stretches of Native'. and: Crown lands, to bo made available, extending from-.-Poverty Bay to the; Bay :of Blenty 'and .down again into the I 'Hawke's Bay .district. The difficulty was:, to-.get. surveyors, a-sufficient number not being, available. ' ■ The Minister's trips were made with 'the object..of gaining, ;Somo, idea: ofs the conditions of'.the. country., After tho Commission had done its work the practical work of administration will -require to bo carried out under his Department. -< • Mr. Carroll found that little damage had been done on the Coast from fires,- but that much good had resulted from tho tiearance of stumps and badly burned areas. Tho inland districts had not shared the - present drought, and.-.stock and sheep 1 were doing well.