NATIVE LANDS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 1 August 1913, Page 7

NATIVE LANDS.

A PETITION TO PARLIAMENT

[By Telegraph—Special to Star.J WELLINGTON, August 1. The report of the Native Affairs Committee on the petition of Philips and 21 others, praying for the right to purchase the freehold of sections leased to them in. the Morikau and Whararanga blocks, stated that as a question of policy was involved, the committee had no recommendations to make. Discussing the matter in the House Mr Smith (Waimarino) said that the report of the committee made it incumbent on the Government to clear up the matter. The lessees did not want to take any unfair advantage of the native owners and did not seek to vary the contracts iato which they had entered. They desired to arrive at an understanding with the native owners in a businesslike way. The lessees had been hampered by want of roads and it was almost impossible to get financial assistance from outside in the present conditions of the leases. The Government should go into the matter to see what could be done to improve the position ia the interests of both the lessees and the lessors, as the lessees wanted to buy the freehold from the native owners provided the native owners were willing to sell. . Mr Wilson (Taumarunui) said that he was sure the matter was going to •be dealt with in a statesmanlike and comprehensive way this session, and it was of no use petitioning on behalf of this or that block of native land. • When the Government measure came down lie would be pleased to support the proposal. The report was adopted.