NATIVE LAND PROBLEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 232, 24 June 1908, Page 7

NATIVE LAND PROBLEMS.

STATEMENT BY SIR R. STOUT. THE POSITION -AT KAWHIA. (D? TELEGRAPH—I'EESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, June 23. In reference'to the Nativo land problem, it was recently stated that 33 miles of tho frontage to tlie Kawhia Harbour was entirely in tho possession of tho. Natives, and that in the county itself over .100,000 acres of tho choicest land was lying idle and unproductive. In connection with this statemerit tho Chairman of the Nativo Lands Commission, Sir-Robert Stout, was to-day asked bis .opinion. :■ Sir Robert said that the commission had sent in a report dealing with tho King Country and liawhia' last week, and it would no doubt bo published shortly by the Government when Parliament meets. , "I may explain,'[ said Sir Robert, "that in Kawhia County] thero aro about .112,000 acres of Nativo "land, but -of that quantity about 45,000 acres is 'papatupu,' that is, the Native , title has not yet, been ascertained with regard to it. Nothing can be _ done with that land by the commission .until tho title has been ascertained. The commission has already dealt with 30,000 acres of Native land outsido of the'papatupu blocks, to which I have referred, * and the ' European and Crown lands at present in occupation are at least 140,000 acres of that county. It should also be noted that a considerable area of the Native lands there is composeu of pure sandhills) or, if not, is land of such a character as .to be ''unsuitable for'settlement. It.is-estimated ; that the area of the land such as I. have just described is about 10,000 acres. The commission has also sent in a report dealing with the land -at- Te Kuiti and' in the King Country. It will ho seen from, that report that a vast , area of Nativo lands has either been leased to Europeans or that the Maoris aro willing to/lease" it, and that they aro not keeping for themselves -any' largo area in Rohepotae. ' Again, 'I suppose that a quarter, of a million aCres of land have been leased to Europeans. . I may say that the present position at Kawhia is that tho Maoris, including tho papatupu blocks, do not hold as much land-per. head as do the Europeans settled there." . j *'