NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 8

NATIVE LANDS.

, POSITION, IN THE NORTH ISLAND. HOW THE LAND IS-lIELD. An official statement givea out yesterday mentions that tho total area of tho'Dominion —North' Island, - Middle Island, and Stewart Island—is . 66,340,910. x acres or thoreabouts. Of tlio total of the North Island, tho Natives own approximately'7,44s,ooo acres. The area owned by Maoris in tho. South-Island cannot be ascertained at present, but it is' so small that mention need not bo.made of it. "Dealing, therefore, only with tho. North Island, the position in respect .to Native lands is as" followsln profitable occupation : (a) Ijy Europeans under lease; (b) by Maoris (estimated), 3,250,380. Vested in trust for settlement or subject to, recommendation of the Native Land Commission, : 2,120,647 acres. The balance of 2,073,960 acres is made up as follows:—Entitled land or only partially investigated,. 570,572 acres;, 'subject to the Urewera Native District Reserves Act, 466,862 acres; subject to the Thermal Springs District Act; 121,007 acres; unclasrffiody.'and, for. the'most-part, poor lands,' 915,343 acres.' "During tho period from 1891 to 1909. tho Crown acquired by purchase from the Maoris more than,3,000,000 acres of land'for settlement. During the samo period; a large area of Native land, ostimated at 250,000 acres, was sold outright to Europeans. As the. resting of land in trustees and boards for administrate purposes'is a prominent feature of the Maori land question, it will bo interesting to put forward the position in regard to trust estates, which is as follows Public i'rustee, 192,275 acres, for lease only; East Coast Trust lands, 186,338 atres, sale, lease, and Maori occupationspecial trust under, the Mangatu'Empowering Act ( 116,464 acres, lease only; in-Maori Land Boards under tho Maori Land Administration Act, 393,352 acres, for lease; being , vested in. Maori Land Boards, on the recommendation of , tho commission, 102,202 acres, .for' lease and sale." '. . . . Referring to-.the return, , the: Acting-Prime Minister lias expressed the opinion that open' Exploitation of Maori lands was !a difficult process. In order t« prevent such a thing, special provision had been made. Anyone desiring to take up any area of Native land (just as of Crown land) has to abido by the - ,Laiid Act, which sets a limit on'his holding; 'and requires him to sign a statutory declaration (equivalent to an oath), that, with any land he already-holds, tho land ho proposes to acquire will not exceed the ■ limitation of area imposed by the Act. Ho. added: "If anyone gets past the law he acts in spite of the law, and not with the help of the

The sale of properties in Wright Street, Tolavera' Terrace, Clereniont, and . Wesley' Road, which was to have been held by Messrs. J. H. Bothune and Co." this afternoon, has been postponed. . ' - j.V'■ -■What is tlio moan average age at' whicli our judges aro appointed? Taking tho existing occupants of the Supromo Court Bench it would seem to bo about fifty-three, and no better period could be chosen. It is the ago, which marks tho maturity of a man's mental powers, the ago of ripe bxpericiico and still unfailing physical strength.—"Law Journal." : Though the particulars of Canada's now naval programmo: are not yetdefinitely settled, 1 , several English firms are ovidently determined to have a share in the construction of tlio new vessels. . . . A largo steol industry may bo expected,'to bo established' in Canada soon, as British capitalists aro • preparing the way for Canada to build her own; ships of 'war.—"lron and Steel Trades' Journal." '

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