NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 9

NATIVE LANDS.

FURTHER REPORT BY COMMISSION. THE ROTORUA DISTRICT. ■■ ■ ■-, IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS \ ( MADE. * Tho. Governmont has received tho report jf the Natiyc Land Commission'on Nativo lapds.in Rotorua county. l Tho report states that tho aio.vof tho county is 629,760 acros, of . which 358,512 acres '■ havo been acquired by the Crown and Europeans, but chiefly bv the; Crown, , and 271,248 acres approximately are owned by the Maoris. . Practically tho »holo of 'tho lands, aro subject to tho Ther-mal!-Springs- District Act, 1881, and . its amendments,, and aro therefore excluded from tho ,oporation. of .tlio Nativo Land . Sottlomont;. Act, 1907..: The* Crown has purchased in; alj tho'blocks containing hot or minoral ' springs; v'and the only springs-of 'any import-ances-remaining in, tho ''/hands of the Maoris ■ aro\thosefat Tilntore.,-. Tho leasing-provisions of the /Act' were put .into operation in. re-, spect of ono block only, the Pukeroa-Orua-whata, 011 which is the present township of Eotoraa. -.// The experience 'of.'/the . Arawa .tribe, ,' Eioro - particularly- of tho -NgatiWhakauo hapu, sooms'to have been a bitter / one,./>'A • memorandum,laid- before,.tho; Commission'^shows: tho views of .-'tho Nf;ati-Wlia-.ka.uQ r ; on;' : tho':leasin lands' .by. tho • ..'oxperiene'e did .not 'popii- ! larise? thi; of vJeasing'provided by'tho ActV ;;'.This ; and ' tho -prohibition of:' private alienation. largely.' ; awo\int,'i the :Commission's opinion,'/for .'the!'present -.unproductive 'Etatoi'bf tho'Native/lands' in district:':Tho Maoris havo long since 1 ; spoilt' 'tho' purchase rnoncy;-:of-;tho ''landswsold_, t-o : the Crown. They '.have f ;no -lands .'.under lease .to Euro- : Eeans, :and/are. cultivating., very littles of tho _ ind thoy Isold. Tjio quality of the lands , jn'most of the' open fern' blocks - is not inviting '.to tho j>astoralist: and / grazier,' tliougl\ that miich of this/land is suitable:for pas- . tbral;',._runsV. \'\Vith i-tho-exception";.'of - tho lands: in ; tho;!neighbqurh6pd . of- Rotorua. itself; wliero' thfcro' may be a .demand for residential sites, the fern land cannot he class'cd. in .-thdV.Cornmissioii's 'opinion- as -suitable! ifor closQ'S'settlem_eht:r; : ..Tho . forest 'land, ;on' the bthpr_hari'd.'' : is -of/good■ qiialitv.,: s Some of it pontains.Diillinp timber, which .is probably tho' moßt'.vpluablo^crop;:tho - land - willover grow.'.The''Jfaori owners who;appeared besit. Rotorua attached-groat-importance to the. timber,.-and insist-ed npon'.:its : disposal -on l tho'Tno-st- favourablo torihs'.>bef6fd; the;: land^itself was, leased or otherwise-dealt^'.-with. -■ . . ; - if -- ' ' ' LEASING TIMBER AREAS. .;'- It^;appears: that, "notwithstanding the' pro-- > vision's: of 'tho -Act' of: 1.881, agreements 'to loaso. timber areas in two blocks, Okoheriki' 2c and Waiteti 2, wero entered into between 1 the Rotorua - Mountain Rimu Comtiany, and' some ;of .' ,tho Maori /owners.- Tho Company 1 , has boon ..operating 'for somo time, and* has'.' . paid -certain 'Bums by way of royalty 'to;tho owrierfi;. "and 'erected-.a' mill- and >constructed 'fertn'oM!;between'-,the partes :Wero;'submitted, consideration: V; This' Coinmissio:i' expressed ;.+he "opinion- that the agreeriients were void tuid barred by the ha.t: if -'a', fair - b'ar- ■ gairi'fwere :mado l}etw ; con' 'the : parties .it .would; ; wndertako'":to: refcomraerid : *His!. : Excellency ;:td ! ;usojjthej'proyisions'-.bf/' ; 'thp Act 1 ' as'far '. as ,posr siblo,' ' an(l to authoris« '< tho Commission !on' tho;/Waiariki/Mabri.'Land. Board to'.'execute deeds' op'behalf'of . the Native proprietors.' ■/'-TheCommission - had : asked .'tho. Company's. solicitor- t'o/ pfepare. -''a';' draft" agreement 'for. submission . to His ' Excellency. Th'ero.i'Was'^ : alsQ,:b¥pughtuiniler ! Jtho' : CoiriniisnpttcP' i 'tf; , 'prppo^alnri l: ?Jejft6' : a. : 'timber: acres 'von .tho Tautara/iind 'Rotorua; blodl« l 'to' r thre'6 if ;sf4"oTis,':.tliemsclveß owners in' thp;'blocks.'-.-Tho.'.'Commission v/as satisfipcl'that'-th's/transactitin' shisiild bo ap-: ■ .■ .- r/-- / ;--;s / J! ' r'- : - i-TT?»."tr r; '" r?-"'

Conservation of 1 timber '* Ws. /tcgard . to /othertimber;, areas,, tlio : Maori* Owners,',askctl. that tbey.bc permitted to stiipber- before thqir lands, are lease, >or ; ; Maor i; occupation,' Tho:', Commission '.thinks ' that their „wislies'r should; havo; : (lue, consideration, and-, -that i.somo, imetbod i shouldho.devised, under .the' Act of ,'.1881'.-: by. which;, this ,valu-: abb-.timber . may : bo; made:: available tb the general."-public , on .terms. most advantageous'; .to ~the.;.qwncrß, and permitting to them a measurq,; of;,'opntrol: overv thoi arrangements. The . Commission' has -framed ' suggestions, in this direction. - To either, sell or. lease ; the timber,'lands for..settlement purposes .mafe ing the destruction of the timber' a necessity, as been dono - on 1 so'-rimch land ■ bf. the Dominion;' would- in : its 'opinion an act of criminal : ;.Waste'. :' : The : lands,on ; whicli;-timber suitable yfor milling fsrows are : rrearly,';' de-v creasing. ,arid ' at • no- distant datq v sueli -lands noar/ltoi-pqpulation- will' bo unknown.! 'There is, 'much I .needi-'of'-'conserving-; tb6 limitqdf,'timber: ;land, and of-:, seeing.-; that it 'is.-properlyiutiliscd.' -Even ifsettlement lias to /wait,: it is better that it should; wait, than that valuable timber,, worth > in somo cases from. £5 to ,£lO .per acre/, should bo:, cut /.down (and. '.hurnt'.; to. afford, feed 'after grnssirig'.iqr'one or', two.;. sheep per 'acre. Th'a'/. Jands ' owiied;'l : by , the'. Ngati-Pikiao tribe,:.-,situated ' generally .to ; the; north', and Kouth'bf■the Rrito'iti/Rotqehu, i'arid :Rfltqhia., lakes;!:,arq,..perhaps,. tlio'j 'most . valuable I '' of the .-Rqtorua;-lands, and the.niqst suitable for'■ pastoral; purposes.: But;tho'titles to maihy ;6f thom aro in an unsatisfactory* position;.-. There' are . few blocks •' which : have taken up so much of tho timo of the Court a-s v'Rotoiti and Tahelco upon ; < investigation' of -tjtlei";. Tlie, .hibdivisions,-;arc/ com- : : pletej'i arid Vexpensi v'e, surveys': will •' be necessary, .to complete the. titles., i' : ' , INCORPORATION RECOMMENDED.' ! .' The Ngati-Pikiao have made up thoir, minds to ;adopt. incorporation, and-' have asked tho. Commission in, almost every case to recommend their', lanils; be .under Scctiqn 28 of, tho Maori, Land Claims Adjustment !'ahd ; ,Lavrs, Amendment Act, 1907. - They are'willing, to throw open their .lands '.for." settlement through-committees elected by' them'r selves,.' with tho sanction of the Court. Tho Commissionis of 'opinion that, although tho lands :within the Thermal Springs District may;.-bo "incorporated ; under > the - section referred :to, the committees, when elected, liavo no., power, of: disposal,. But the Commission thinksthat., t-heso;committees- 'should occupy an - important . position in the ,'schemo\ of ■ set-' .tloinont;. r 6f;t'he ! Rotonia lands. lliey, should bo.' aiithorised-' by,- tho 'Governor—(l) -To set. aside and defino the areas to bo reserved for papakaingas and Maori, farms; (2) .'to- specify, tho- areas .for.'leasing.;',,Tli6'committeo will in .(each.'caso tho ; terms- and covenants that would ,bd agreeable 'to tho Native proprietors.., to, be comprised in - tho' leases. Tho committees will - make the arrangements andgivp tho assent .contemplated by-Section 12 of, tho Aet.of 1881.: In fact, in.the matter of leasing, tho committees should bo allowed to : niake .the necessary arrangements, subject to His, Excellency's consent, and the Commission: proposes that the president of tho "Waiariki Maori- Land Board bo authorised to oxeciite .thq necessary .deeds. . Tho leases aro required'to be by public auction or tender, and the terms, conditions, and covenants can,' no doubt, *bo,. framed so ,as. to conform' to the system; of -leasing Native; lands in districts outside the Thormal Springs District. - Tho'Commission has -set; out in schedules the lands recommended.: for incorporation, amounting ,to a littlo over <10,000 - acros. It .believes: that; a" much larger area will be dealt with iir this manner, when the titles aro properly ascertained. , : VALUATION. ; For; tho purpose of-sale; tho Act of 1881 restricts tho'market. . The sole purchaser is the, Crown/ Tho -Commission'''thinks' that, iii justi"co.!io, the. Jlaoris. of'.the' district, so long as tholfe'pecial' Act is in force,' .the-committees of incorporated' blocks desirous of selling to. thq CrWn should !»e advioptl and allowed, to call ifi'-tho services; of ail' independent valuer to assist thom in bargaining with the. Crown, •aijd>iri.'\no- instance, shoujd tlio ,Crown'' ; chase' urttil' such' a'valuation. has:been made, j This ynl.J;'rembyo'thb greatest objection'. to,the existing system of Crown and encourage tho Maori owners to outer into n.sgo-

tiations, with tho Crown for tho acquisition of some of their surplus lands. The ltoto'rua liapus, except Ngati-Pikiao, cannot, in tho Commission's opinion,'be fairly said to havo surplus lands, for sale. THERMAL SPRINGS DISTRICT. ■' .! 111 respect of the lands within the Thermal Springs District; covered by tho report, tho Commission, makes tho following recommendations:— , (1) That lands reserved for Maori oc-• : cupation be not purchased by tho Crown, ■ except in tho ordinary course .of tho \ administration of the Public Works Act. (2) That, in regard to lands recommended to he leased (exclusivo of incorporated blocks), tho Board bo empowered to, carry out tho provisions of Scction 12 of; tho.-Thermal Springs Act, 1881,: and '.to act as agent, in' His' Excellency's . name, for the Nativo proprietors; where . ; lands arc recommended to bo leased to Maoris, tho Commission thinks that tho, provision's of Part II of tho Nativo Land ' . Settlomont. Act, 1907, be applied,' mu- ' tatis mutandis. (3) That, in regard to ' lands : recommonded ' for incorporation, the • Nativo Minister make, the necessary .application ; - ' to* tho' Court. ■. The Commission has al- ' ready indicated the method of dealing with lands of this character.' "(4) That lands offered for sale [bo acquired by tho Crown after the price has . been fixed by proper valuation. A' second schedule to tho report contains lands within: Rotorua County, but outside tho Thermal Springs District, which havoi been inquired into. Tho Nativo Land Settlement Act; 1907; will apply, and tho Commission's recomniendations. are made.. ill. accqrdanco therewith. . . Altogether, the' area inquired into ■ and .subject 'to the : Commission's rcconimoridationS/ is ,59,674 acres. 'Tho Commission has asked to bo..referred,to tho , Nativo Land Court'.thb.; further .of some .blocks .of j, tho total . area •! of ,61,861 acres/ There'are also papatupu blocks of tho area of 0716 acre's; The total area of lands'to be •investigated, including papatupu; lands and lands.-.roferred 'to tho .Court, is..;. 181,574 acres..; ■■ . '. ..■■■ ■;

NATIVES' COMPLAINTS. . The appendix, deals, with the Complaints cf the. tribes mentioned above! The. latter refer | ,to'. tl}ei. Hplp they , gave- ill 1864. as' loyal Natives; .t-hoy '.expected; that their .loyal adhesion would: meet: its rowaid iin duo time, r: In 1880,. Judge Fenton assisted to, form'a-town 7 ship,; and the. Government agreed to . become trustee and agent.;. Nativcs; were comforted with the prediction; that , all ,tl}p benefits '-so, alluringly held forth,,-and sure to accrue.,from a European population wero.tho long'awaited compensation arrived at last, Afteri,further negotiations, about 15020 acres were".; given; for., the township., of. Rotorua.Tho_ Government undertook, as agent-for the leasing, .to-collect the ,rents.. This; negotiation and tho giving of Native leases gratuitously; were confirmed by Acts of' Parliament iii 1881 and; 1883.'. The lessees entered into occupation. But;, .after the ; first, payments,. from which ; preliminary, fees were rigidly deducted, rents fellinto- arrear; the Government neglected :'to collect; them.: When / the;Ngati'Whakaue saw that, not only were written, ,left;,unfulfilled, but .verbal ;pn> : mises: l were; disregarded or repudiated, they becamo suspicious that all was :nbt well;- The Government then proposed to -buy the, township of Rotorua.' vTho-proposal found, the Na-tive-owner's ;in a position. of .despair, from the back , reiits owing and not accounted for., At that, time, they reckoned, about £13,000 rent moneys were payable to them. But tho ' price! offered and payable : for 1 tho freehold df. the township land was only: about £-7500.'0n tho -.'day: that.- the . leases.'. Were r offeredj' there ' was'-: paid .. to tho Commissioner' of: i Crown Lands £1353 ss.—half a year's rent. ; The freehold when acquired,.was only worth! the rental: ivaluo if or-, three years..;'_" Not .being .versed in 'the>,mysteries- of. arithmetic, wo . could' ;.not.j-gllege ' agent: that "it"; Jiad;\t'ak<m,advantage : .of.; our ignorance.;and confidence.'■' A. good deal is -added 1 regarding-.,fishiaig (rights' J,--,!-i Then./follow numerous,.'signatures.',y,' .; AN.EXPLANATION WANTED., 1 /Attached":to' the",report; is a memorandum, :signed. : ;by! chiefs ;aiid m.embors of the' NgatiWhakauo 'hapu,. It was' read at the sitting of' the'.Commission.;yThe allegations, contained therein,), especially} regarding: Rotorua, ;', : wero 'such,thai they doserved explanation or. denial by ;.the Native." Land Purchase Department. The truth' of,'.the charges .must be known to tho Department., "If.it be a fact," .states,,tho Commission, '' that' while; acting, •as trusteefor the Native owners,-.the .Crown, having the .Natives from selling their lands, bought them at; an'inadequate', price, tho, action of tho Crown cannot be defended. A "transaction ofthat character , would, if it took" place between an ordinary trusteb ; and,a beneficiary, bo set aside by any court, of justice before.-whom'.it: came for .decision...; .If-it be found, therefore,, that tho statements cannpt be, disputed,'then certainly ,tho.Ngati-AVhakauo.hapu'.should now.receive, from 1 the ,Cro\\;n. .beneficent consideration." .', > It.;hardly camp , within,.tho province of . the ..Commission to doal with a grievance' of . which tho Ara'wa.s mddo great complaint. Tho infish ,'in. tho"','streams and .the. lakes .of' their j district. liiid; been almost. "wholly! ,de- : stroyod hy' the. trout;'that.'.,had, been.', placed, there." ...That, the; Maoris had ..'suffered "great, loss thereby could not :bo 'denied. Tlio .fish worpia great part of their food.' Unless they paid.a. license they couldinot fish.for trout. It ,"wr.s, thought that,;.the .Tourist .Depart-' 'jnent",could, : allay . tho fooling of.' the' Natives arid remedy, an. injustice, if licenses woro. issued free of ; charge, to. the llcads, of .families,' permitting . them at : stated periods ,to take fish for food and not, for sttlo. , , ' MAORI FARMING. The Arawas as ..a neoplp'were, active' and ; iind under v sunen'ision wore capabli' niid energetic workmen. They had given .'satisfaction,'to tho Public, Works and Forestry Departments, and to the late Rotorua Town Board.' These employers spoke in high ■ terms.;,of, their, intelligence,-., capacity, and assidtiity. Thoro 'was amongst .them:-.-splen-did Material awaiting and - organisation on. industrial lines.! The Commission was,of, opinion that it was the duty of the State'-:to undprtalco: such organisation and : doyelopment'., IV;. suggested,, with . the Approval of- the Natives, that a- communal farm of from two to three thousand: acres be sot apart for; each'• of the following. hapus :— Ngati-Whakaue, Tuhourangi, and. ■ Ngati•Uonukukopako;, and two communal farms for the*'N2ati-Pikiao. These farms should be used•' for experimental; : purposes, •.and. the managers should. .bo able to act as agricultural: instructors, so that; th,o farms could bo used as schools of agriculture for tlio -younger, Maoris. At 'first the State could .find a portion ,of the .instructor's salary, ; but tho farms could bear all other expenses. The State's share'would bo a more bagatello. In the., Commission's ; opinion there was greater necessity for tho Government undertaking the : experiment than there was in older countries. ;... The following is tho first schedule appended to .tho report:— ' , , - ■ FIRST SCHEDULE.' Lands within Rotorua County and Thermal Springs District. ' A.—Lands rocommcnded for Maori occupation:— ' ' Waitnti 2a. block Nos. I—7, 317 acres 1 rood; Parnwai .No. 1, 140 acres; Waikuta, 257; acres; Kawaha, Nos. I—B,1 —8, 706 acres,; To Koutu' No! la, lb, 2, 2a, 3a, 3b, 181 acres 3 r00d5.23 polos; Ngapuna Nos. I—3, 197 acres; Koutu, 110 acres 3 roods '31 poles; Owhatiura Nos; la, lb, and 2, 349 acres' 3 roods; Okoheriki No. Id, Ob, lh Nth., Ik, 967 acres 3 roods ,29 poles ; Kaitao, 2c and 2d, 200 acresßotohokahoka, cl, c 2, and c, 150 acres; PaliiiiahinaAManupii-ua, 856 acrps; Tapnaokura,' 600 acres; To llimu-Horohoro, 114 acres; Rotomahana-Parekar'angi, sections aggregating G4Bl acres 7 roods 39 poles; Wliaka'pouugnkau-Pukepoto, Nos. 6b,- 7, and 17, 873 acres;.Whakarowarewa No. 1, sections 2b, 3b, lb, lots 9—99, 118 acres 0 rood 3, 29 polos; Ohiiiown.irua Nos. I—B, 4 ceres 1 rood 23 polos; Tarewa. Nos. I—l 2, 14 .acres 0 roods 23' .polos;' Tarawa- Bast, Nos. I—3, 28 acres 0 roods 20 poles AVhaka-poungakau-Pukopoto, Nos. 2, , 3b, 51>; 5294 acres: Rotomahana-Parekarangi, No. 6a, section. 2, Nos. lb and 3b (part), 3632 acres; Patetci-o Soutli. lbl, 1 acre. ■ Total area, 21,502 acres 1 rood 17 polos.

B.—Lands rocommended to be inoorporatsd untlor Scction 28 of tho Maori Land Claims Adjustment and Laws Amendment Act, 1907, with power to dispose. of timber, to sot aside areas for Maori occupation to loaso in terms of section 121 of the Thermal Springs District Act, 1881, or to treat with Crown for sale:— To Haumingi block, 2534 acres (appeal pending); . Waiono, Nos. .1 —3, Miugarae and A, 6780 acres; ltotoma, Nos. 1 —3, 6937 acres; Tautara, 4782 acres; Roto-mahana-Parekarangi,; Nos: 6b, 2 (Tumunui), and lcl to 17, 11,001 acres; Whakapounga-kau-Pukepoto, Nos. 10b, lib, 13b, 14 (with power to lease to Europeans), 1296 acres; Waerenga East and West, 2480 acres; Rotomahana-Parokarangi, 51) (Onuku), 1080 acres; Ruawabin, No. 2, 4164 acres. | Total area, 41,104 acres.. . , c.—Lands for Settlement by Maoris or Europeans:— I'uketawhcra b block) 344 acres 1 rood 21 poles; b, 2290 acros; Okoheriki, Nos. 1 East 2, 2c,. 2d2, 2d3, .5780 acres .3 roods 17 poles; Waiteti, No. 2, sections la, lbl, lb2, lb3, 1b4,-2al, 2a2, 2b, 4800 acres; To Tuporo, lb and 2, 20 acros 2 roods-7 poles; Rotomahana-Parokarangi, 6a2, No. 3b (part). 2000 acres; Rotomahana-Parokarangi, 6a2, No. 6b, 767 acres; Rotomahana-Pareka-rangi (Poka), 2660' acres; Patetere South, lb3, 1572 acres 1 rood; Waiwherowhoro, 54 acres 0 roods 21 poles; Rbtomahaiia-Pareka-rangi, Rg2b and 6k2b, ; 424 acres; AYliakn-poungakau-Pukepoto, ,Nos. 8, flb. 12b, 15b, IS sec.-2b, 16 sec. 2, 1721 acres 2 roods! Total area, 22,434 acres 2 roods 29 poles. The following lands are reserved for Maori occupation under Part II of tho Nativo Land Ssttlcmcht Act, 1907:— To Haehaenga, No. 1, 3560 acres; Whaka-inaru-Maungaiti, 1073 acres. ■ Other areas will be 'dealt with in a supplementary report. , " ■ ,