NORTH ISLAND LAND PURCHASES. —MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4288, 11 August 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

NORTH ISLAND LAND PURCHASES. —MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

[By Electric Telegraph.] [rKiss AGENCY.] Wellington, Tuesday. The Ministerial statement, relative to Land Purchases in the North Island, commenced with the expression of the hope that it would disabuse the minds of members that sullicieut care had not been taken te guard public interest. After reciting the decision of the Assembly, that a public estate should acquired in the North Island for the purposes of colonisation, a statement was made of the difficulties which had to be encountered in carrying out this decision, — such as the abrogation by the Crown of the right of pre-emption over the native lands and the employment, in censequence, by private individuals of all the most able agents, heretofore in the employ of the Government. When the Assembly voted £700,000 to acquire land from the natives, the Government found itself, with scarcely any officers of experience, to carry out the delicate work of land purchasing negotiations. It was therefore fonnd expedient to make terms with the most active and successful of these agents— viz., Mr. White, K.M., Mongonui; Mr. Kemp, Civil Commissioner of Auckland; Colonel McDonald, and Messrs. Brissenden and Preece. The area of land purchased or leased by the Government since 1872 is as follows: —Province of Auckland acres purchased 490.754, leased 391,601 ; Hawke's Bay purchased 240,537 ; Wellington 429,792; Taranaki 170,499: total, 1,618,668 acres, at a cost of, including £13,000 charged for expenses of department, and £16,421, or 2s sjd per acre, and for 391,601 acres leased, on which has been paid £2957. The incompleted transactions represent a total of 2,941,842 acres under purchase, and 1,522,502 acres under lease, on which has been paid, including £13,135 for departmental services, £118,523. The Government have steadily kept in view the two fold object of providing land for influx of population, end of securing those districts to the colony through which the public works have been carried. The Government have also endeavoured to acquire land in large blocks, but while the advantage of doing so is obvious, lands of inferior description were of necessity included. A large area of land, though of an inferior description, has been secured in the Taupo country. Some valuable blocks are now under negotiation, but Ministers hope that bo undue pressure will be brought to bear on these purchases, as not ; only will any present good understanding with the natives be endangered, but the j main object in view will be marred by unwise and premature action. Negotiations of this nature, said Sir Donald, can only be carried ! out with the intelligent assent of the ' natives, and this can only be obtained wh-.n | they have realised the advantages to be i gained from having European settlers in this neighbourhood.