NATIVE LAND SURVEYS

Evening Star, Issue 15075, 6 January 1913, Page 1

NATIVE LAND SURVEYS

A deputation wailed on the Hon. IV. If. Herrins ;i 1. Auckland on Saturday to place, L’foie him a number of clisabiiit hr. under which surveyors lay owing to the rogulalioiis in ronnrction wit,it the Native Land (■cut matt ms and the absence of no ordination l>e tween the Sttrvev and Native Departments. Mr C. C. Otway said that the matter which cawed annoyance and delay was the necessity at. present of obtaining the .signaturo of the chief Judge of the Native Land Court t;> plans. Mr Jackson drew attention to the fact that court owlets had also to he signed liy the Judge. If it, could he made- :i rule that the legistrar of the Xalive .Land Court he empowered to sign au cider a gieat deal of delay could he avoided. Another point was the necessity of piopov and accurate plans being furnished to the Court, the lack of adequate descriptions and plans available being the cause of innumerable delays, ami loss to surveyors. Oilier matters touched upon we to the rolleclion of hack tees <e.\ me to survevor.s and the laising <>f the wale of charges for surveying. The Minister said that as the Government were anxious to cot Native lands opened as soon ns possible, he would do anything lie could (o help. He pointed nut... however, that if alterations were made to the, partition orders signed by a Judge endless petitions would go before Parliament, while, litigation would heroine rampant. It was often found on investigation that a block did not contain the area, represented to he in it. The trouble was that the Survey Department was also conreined. He piomisrd to do what he could to save the loss of time that was involved thiough the plans }--vTig to go on to the Judge.