LANDLESS MAORIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1920, Page 5

LANDLESS MAORIS

VERY LITTLE LAND,

FOR NATIVES THEMSELVES

DEPARTMENTAL STATEMENT.

(Special to the ''Star.") WELLINGTON, August 13. The Native Department is somewhat twitted with not publishing figures and making statements about the position of Native lands, states the annual report of the Native Department. "All the figures and statements that can be made will not alter the position, which is that the Maoris have disposed of nearly all the lands they can dispose of without making the bulk of them landless, later probably to become a charge on the State. This pronouncement is supported by figures showing that the area of unoccupied Maori land is 1.277,278 acres, and if to the last area cupied by Maori owners there is> a total area of 1.657,278 acre?, but the elimination of 750,000 acres pumpice areas, monn tainons tops, etc, leaves 907,270 acres suitable for settlement which cannot, says the report, be regarded as an excessive area for 47,000 Maoris, comprising the population of the North Island. Thus, instead of there being a large area of Native land available for general settlement it would seem that there was barely sufficient for the Natives themselves.