NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT ACT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3074, 2 November 1929, Page 5

NATIVE LAND AMENDMENT ACT.

PROVISION FOR DEVELOPMENT. SOME PRACTICAL MEASURES. In the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act sponsored by the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata, some important measures for the development of native lands are provided, and these mark the first step towards a solution of the many problems surrounding this controversial question of Maori-owned lands. A brief summary of the Bill was published last issue, but a copy of the measure forwarded by Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P., gives further particulars.

COMPENSATION FOR IMPROVEMENTS.

The Bill provides that any claims for improvements by lessees of Maori land must be made within six months either within the coming into opera- ' tion of- this Act or from the time when 'the compensation becomes payable in accordance with the terms of the lease whichever, is the later. The Native Land Court has power to extend this period for another six months should circumstances warrant such extension. PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS. A Native Land Board, with the consent in writing of a majority in value of the beneficial owners or their trustees, or by a resolution by the assembled owners, sell to any person any land vested in the Board, including any land that may be set aside for leasing, whether or not such land has been leased by the Board. Such sales shall be in terms and conditions set down by the Board, and must be subject to the consent of the Native Minister. DEVELOPMENT OF MAORI LANDS. In order to provide for the better settlement and more effective utilisation of native land or land owned or occupied by Maoris and the encouragement of natives in the promotion of agricultural and pastoral pursuits, the Native Minister shall have power to set up advisory committees, such to make recommendations as they think fit. The Native Minister may authorise development works on native lands as follows: Surveys, drainage, reclamation, roading, bridging, fencing, clearing, grassing, planting, top-dressing, or otherwise improving such lands; the erection of buildings, and undertake the insurance, maintenance, and repairing of same; the purchase of necessary machinery, tools, and plant; and the purchase of live stock to be depastured on these lands. The cost of this work of development to be paid out of the native land settlement accounts, such payments to be a charge on the land so treated and to bear interest at a rate to be decided by the Native Minister from time to time. The Minister can delegate the powers vested in him in these connections to the Maori Land Board or the Native Trustee. GUARANTEE OF ACCOUNTS. Any Maori Land Board, with the consent of the Native Minister, may enter into contracts with any.co-oper-ative dairy factory to guarantee payments to such company of any moneys owing or thati may become owing by any native dairy farmer, such guarantee not to exceed £3OO at any time. Any moneys which the Board shall be called upon to pay to be a charge on the land of the native ( for whom the liability was incurred. PURCHASE OF LAND. A Maori Land Board, with the approval of the Native Minister, may acquire any freehold or lessee interest in land with power to mortgage the interest in same, notwithstanding that the freehold of the land in which any interest is acquired is already vested in the Board. Vested lands may be awarded to 'the Crown in any consolidation proceedings. VARIATION OF LEASES. The Waikato-Maniapoto District Maori Land Board shall have power, after inquiry in each case, to make such variation of the covenants and conditions of any lease heretofore granted of Native land situated with\\n Hjhe W?aika)t|p-Matniapo)to Maori Land District as in the circumstances of the particular case shall seem to the Board to be just and expedient: Where the Board decides to make any such variation, an order shall be drawn up in writing under the seal of the Board and the hand of .the President, setting out the terms of .such variation, and the approval of the Native Minister, if granted shall be signified by endorsement on stick order. The variation set out in any such order shall, upon the order taking effect, be deemed, to be embodied in the instrument of lease so varied, and shall have the same force and effect from the date of such order as if it had been originally embodied in the said instrument. Any such order may be registered against the title to the land to which it refers either under the Land Transfer Act, 1915, or the Deeds Registration Act, 1908, as the case may be. LANDS FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES. Acting under the provisions of the Public Works Act, 1908, the Governor took and laid off for public purposes certain lines of road through the native land mentioned in a notice published in the NeW' Zealand Gazette. And as the parcels of land hereinafter mentioned, although included in such notice, were never actually taken or laid off as lines of road, and it is desirable that the land shall be deemed to have been taken for the purposes hereinafter mentioned, and vested in the local authority interested, the Act provides as follows: The parcels of land hereinafter mentioned are hereby vested in the Corporation of the Countty of Otorohanga for the purpose of gravel pits. • The native owners of the said land shall be entitled to compensation under the Public Works Act, 1928, as if the land had been taken under the Public Works Aeti, 1908, on the eighth day of August, 1912; and such

compensation shall be ascertained and assessed in accordance with the provisions of part 4 of .the Public Works Act, 1928, and the Court shall have jurisdiction to act thereunder upon the application of any person claiming to be entitled to compensation or on the application of the local authority. The Otorohangja County Cbujnoil is authorised to pay any sum so awarded for compensation. The parcels of land affected by this section are:— An area of two acres one rood, being part of Mangawhero 30 Block, situate in Block V, Mangaorongo Survey District. An area of four acres three roods, being part of the Rangitoto Tuhua No. 33 Block, situate in Block VI, Mangaorongo Survey District. An area of six acres two roods, being part of Rangitoto Tuhua No. 28 Block, situate in Block V, Mangaorongo Survey District.