NATIVE LAND BILL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 619, 15 November 1913, Page 5

NATIVE LAND BILL.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS. The Native Land Laws Amendment Bill was reported back to the House of Representatives with amendments on Thursday by the Native Affairs Committee. Several claus-s uf the Bill have been amended. Provision is made for the temporary transfer of judges from one distict to another. In cases where the successors of an interest in native lsnd3 desire to have these interests partitioned and the relative interests are too small to'justify parti-ion, a majority of the successors representing net !e=s than one-half of the value of the interests may apply to the Mao-i Land Board to effect a sale or leas: of the interest and apportion the nrocseds. In cases in which mortgagees acquire lands by reason of mortgages, they may hold the land without being to make ih-2 declaration as to other lands held by them. They may hold the title for any period, but it may not be regisisred until it is transferred. This will bring the native law in line with thy ordinary Act. Schemes of subdivision carried out by Crown Land Boards en behalf of Maori Land Boards shall be first approved by the president of the latter board?. 'The Bill, as brought down, provides that natives could sell their individual interest in certain trust ianri to the Stats. This clause has been amended to exclude lands farmed by the natives themselves under corpcrated committees. AH these sales shall be voluntary. Provision is also made for rearrangement of the boundaries between native and European lands for the rnrpuse of convenience and economy in fencing.