EXTRA EDITION. NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9306, 23 March 1907, Page 7

EXTRA EDITION. NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

SITTING AT WANGANUI

[PEESS ASSOCIATION "j

WANGANUI, March 22

The Native Land Commission sat .here to-day. The blocks which were the subject of discussion wera the Morikau No. 1 . of 1400 acres, Morikau No. 2of 1400 acres, Whakaihukawn 14,000 acres, and Taumotamahoe 42,000 acres. Representative Maoris, who gave evidence, said they were in sympathy with the suggestions made by the Commission at other places, and agreed that tlie land at present was not only to a large extent lying idle, but for want of cultivation was deteriorating. The general opinion was that the sale- of land should cease, a<nd that leasing should be prosecuted. Land not used by the Maoris for village^ purposes should be deaeed to Maoris for farms, and the balance offered to Europeans. It was also generally •conceded that money derived from the lease of land should not be handed direct to the Maoris. It was shown that in the great majority of cases <the money (£27,000 or £28,000), which t'hei Maoris had recently received fox the sale of their lands, had been dissipated. The Commission resumes to-morrow. WANGANUI, March 23. At toe Land Commission this morning a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce waited on members and urged that some means should be devised for collecting rates on native lands, giving instances of local bodies having large amounts on their books and unable to collect. The Chief Justice said the remedy appeared .to be in the natives being encouraged to farm their lands, as they could not be expected to pay rates on lands yielding no profit. To-day the Commission! was chiefly occupied in hearing evidence with regard to up-river Wocks. It was stated by one native witness that one block was badly overrun with blackberry, over 1000 acres being perfectly impenetrable. Witness blamed the missionaries for introducing it.