King Country Chronicle Saturday, November 2, 1929. NATIVE LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3074, 2 November 1929, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Saturday, November 2, 1929. NATIVE LANDS.

The Bill dealing with native lands presented to the House on Wednesday Contains some important changes in the laws governing a matter which has created considerable interest in political circles changes which should go a long way in solving this great problem which is retarding progress in a large portion of the North Island. The Bill covers a wide range of subjects covering native lands, and when made operative will benefit the owners as well as make available for settlement large areas which at present are an eyesore as well as a menace to the surrounding settlers. The Native Land Board is to be vested with certain powers in dealing with these lands, but the past 'si,istory of the Board will ensure justice to the Maori owners. The Bill is a real first attempt to stop the wastage and litigation, and to remove many injustices and anomalies that surround and have always been con-* nected with Maori-owned lands. Instead of the many intricacies that have been characteristic of dealings in these lands, the Maori Land Board has power, when a majority value of the owners so desire, to sell land to private individuals. This will allow of these lands being sold without it being necessary to obtain the signature of every owner, which practice in the past has resulted in heavy expenses being incurred in dealing with the natives over their lands. The native owners, under the amending Act, will now have the opportunity of obtaining finance to enable them to carry on farming. The conditions of finance are most generous, and once the consolidated scheme has been finalised there is the likelihood of tens of thousands of acres, at present worse than useless, being brought under cultivation. Local advisory committees are to be formed to help in the development of these Maoriowned lands, and this is a wise move. These new farmers will require guidance in their undertakings, and such will be forthcoming by practical farmers. One clause deals specificially with this district, in which provision is made giving power to the Maori Land Board to make variations of existing leases of Maori lands. This is a matter which is of vital importance to many settlers in this district. These leases were- drawn up when farming conditions were ve v, y much different to what they are today. Many of the contracts are now quite impossible of fulfilment, and it is as much in the interests of the owners as the lessees that some al-

teration should be made. It will bo for the Board to decide whether a reduction in rentals is justified and no injustice will be done to the native owners. If the Board is of the opinion that the original terms of the lease can be carried out, then no variation will be made. If on the other hand it can be shown that the rental is too high on a productive basis, the Board has the power to safeguard both the owners' and the lessees' interests. Some complications may. arise in dealing with such cases where high prices have been paid for the goodwill of the leases, and in arriving at a settlement the Board will have a difficult task. One matter that does not appear to have been dealt with in the Bill is the obligation of the native owners to local bodies. When the Maori land consolidation scheme is completed, it is to be hoped that these native lands will be placed

on exactly the same position as European-owned lands. With finance available for development of these lands, and the owners' interests consolidated, they should be in a position to bear their proper proportion of the cost of roads and other amenities, without which farming, either by Maoris or Europeans, is impossible.