NATIVE LANDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 215, 25 August 1927, Page 7

NATIVE LANDS

COLLECTION OF RATES. VALUATIONS. Wellington, Auqust 25. The greater part of the afternoon sitting of the House of Representatives to-day was taken up with discussion on the annual report of the 'Native Department. The Prime Minister, in reply, said the duty of the Native Minister was to adopt a policy which, while it would protect the Natives, would be in harmony with the general progress of the country. The administration of Native land was difficult and tedious, because it was not possible to hand out titles to Native land in the same manner as thev could with pakeha lands. Still, thev had made remarkable progress, and bv exercising patience they would steadily overcome the existing difficulties. There\was difficulty in the matter of collecting rates on native land, but there was no doubt there was much Native land on the rate books which was not fit for cultivation and should never have been rated So soon as a title is given to a Maori, then that land must bear a share of its responsibility with pakeha land. It was. however, different where land was held in common, because injustice might be done 10 many natives -who were in no wav responsible for the present position. With recard to valuations, he proposed a conference between the Chief Judge of the Native Land Court and the Valuer-General, with a view to arriving at a better understandine on this much disputed point. Proclamations, which were sometimes objected to, were often necessary to enable inquiries as to ownership and other matters to be made. He had had in min<’ for some time the calling of a co A -rence of Judges of the Native Land Court and the presidents of the Native Council. That, up to the present time, had not been possible but he intended to renew the proposal at an early date