IMPORTANT RETURNS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2328, 17 January 1893, Page 2

IMPORTANT RETURNS.

In the session of 1891 a very valuable return in connection with the Maori lands of tbe North Island was presented to Parliament on tbe motion of Mr. Mao* ddnald. The figures respecting tbe lands still in tbe occupation of the Maoris but lying unproductive are highly suggestive : Acres. Native tribal lands not passed through Court, and lying unproductive 2,694,633 Native lands whioh have passed through Court, and lying unproductive 4,898,874 Total native lands unoccupied and unproductive ... 7,593,507 Native lands which have passed through Court and been leased to Europeans ... 2,442,469 Native lands occupied by Maoris for pastoral and agricultural purposes passed through Native Land Court 730,934 Tribal lands not passed through Court 82,576 Total native lands personally occupied and used by tbe Maoris for productive purposes 813,510 The total area of Maori lands in tbe North IslaDd still held by tbe Maoris in fee simple amounts to 10,849,486 acres of which only 813,510 aores, or 7£ per cent, are in the porsonal occupation of the Maoris for productive purposes. Nearly two and a half million acres, or 22£ per cent., are leased to Europeans, but the remaining 70 per cent., or over 7| millions of acres, are in the same condition as when the Maoris themselves first occupied the country. The Land and Income Tax Department values these lands as under:— £ Tribal lands, 2,694,633 acres (no valuation given) ... ... — Tribal lands, 82,576 aores (no valuation given) — Unproductive native lands, 4,898,847 acres 1,867,841 Native landß leased to Euro* peans, 2,442,469 aores ... 2,452,916 Nativeß* interest... £1,979,357 Europeans' interest 473,559 Total valuation of Maori lands 4,320,757 No taxation is paid by the Maoris with reference to a single acre of these lands. — New Zealand Times.