THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1900.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11537, 23 November 1900, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1900.

Decidedly the most interesting experiment arising from the legislation of the last session is in respect to the utilisation of the lands still owned by the natives, the greater part of which is within the provinoe of Auckland. The advancement of this part of the colony has been greatly retarded by the resolution come to by the Government, and acted upon for several years past, that they would neither purchase native lands for settlement nor allow them to be purchased by individuals. We need not further refer to that subject; our object at present is to indicate the steps that have been taken by which these surplus lands may pass into the occupation of Europeans. Two Acts were passedthe Maori Councils Act and the Maori Lands Administration Act.

Since the close of the session, Mr. Henare Kaihau, M.H.R., King Mahuta, and their solicitor, Mr. St. Clair, have been engaged in preparing for the opening up fox settlement of a large number of blocks of land in which the Maori King and his followers are interested, with a view of throwing them upon the. market during • the coming autumn, or in time for the next bushfelling season. The Maori King has now returned to his home in Waikato, to arrange with his committee for a monster meeting to be held at Tauwhare about the sth of next month, at which the consent of the tribes interested is to be obtained to these lands being handed over to the Maori Land Council for administration. It is proposed to at once open up and dispose of Maungatautari Block, containing 44,000 acres, and several other large blocks near Kawhia, which are admirably adapted for small settlers. The Kingites also own a large block between Kawhia and Aotea Harbours, which has not yet been dealt with by the Native Land Court. It is proposed to ascertain the title to this block, under the provisions, of the Maori Land Administration Act of last session, by setting up a Block Committee to investigate the ownership, and report to the Council, who will thereon, if no appeal is lodged, proceed to issue an order for title, in similar manner to the procedure under the Urewera Reserves Act. The natives claim that they have details all ready arranged, so as to bring the block before the Council as soon as it is set up, and that it will be an object lesson to all how they can themselves determine the title to their lands at very little expense. The Maoris have lung complained of the cost of the Native Land Court as being a great burden and expense both to the colony and the Maoris, often eating up the whole value of the land dealt with by it. They are very confident that under the new law they will be able to settle the titles of the blocks left to them, without loss of time and at small expense. As soon as the titles are settled they propose to at once open the bulk of the Ka-whia-Aotea Block for settlement on long lease, which will increase the prosperity of Kawhia immensely, as the land is said to be very high-class and suitable for dairy farming. Several large blocks in the North between Whangarei and the Hokianga district are to be dealt with in a similar manner, and for such purpose several Northern chiefs have lately been in town to confer with Mr. Kaihau, M.H.R. In one case the committee to be set up is to consist of Maori women, whose names have been already selected with the unanimous consent of the hapus interested. The Maoris intend to push ahead with the work of investigating titles so as to show Parliament what they are able to do it allowed to manage their own affairs.

By arrangement with the Government it is the intention of the Maori King to have the Councils organised much on the lines of Crown Lands Boards and the Public Trustee Board, and similar registers and books of record to those of the Public Trust Office are to be kept. The lands will be thrown open for competition by public tender at moderate upset rentals, after being duly notified by advertisements and lithographic maps. The leases will, ail in case of Public Trustee leases, be for 21 years, with right of renewal, or compensation foi improvements.

For many years it has been rumoured that gold and other metals existed on some of the Maori lands in the interior, and it now transpires that reliable indications have been discovered, and have' been known to the Maori owners for some years. Under the provisions of the new Act they propose to deal with these matters and claim the reward .for a new

payable goldfield. 4 ' On several blocks in which the Maori King is interested there exist large forests of valuable totara and other marketable timbers, within easy access of the Main Trunk railway line, and it is proposed to deal with these assets without delay so as to provide revenue out of which to open up and road other blocks. In one case there is a block of over 40,000 acres of good totara, which is growing so thickly that it will require to be cleared before the land can be utilised for settlement, and it is proposed to obtain the assistance of the sawmillera to clear it for settlement. The timber is to be sold in convenient sized lots on royalty, which should lead to the erection of a number of sawmills and the employment of considerable labour, besides creating traffic for our railways, and by circulating a large sum of money will benefit our 5 tradespeople.

Under the regulations drawn up by Mahuta's instructions and now before Cabinet, the cost of obtaining a lease from the Maori Council will be the same as that charged by the Crown Lands Board or the Public Trustee, and as by the Act of last session native duty is abolished on all transactions under the Council, leases of Maori lands will be within the reach of small settlers. One of the most serious drawbacks in the past to obtaining Maori lands was the cost both of law expenses and interpreters' fees in obtaining signatures, and too frequently bonuses and payments by way of blackmail to enable the final signatures to be obtained. Mahuta is to be congratulated on not overlooking this point and providing that in future the cost of a Maori lease shall not exceed that of one obtained from a Land Board. The Act also provides that all leases shall be registered under the Land Transfer Act so that the titles will be indefeasible..

If the anticipations of Mahuta and his chiefs are realised, we see every reason to predict great prosperity for the Auckland district in the near future. With large areas of rich land thrown open to settlement by bona-fide settlers, our townsfolk cannot fail to derive benefit from extended fields for business and trade. What Auckland has all along needed was back country, which the settlement of these areas of Maori land will afford her. The close settlement of these lands means also that the increase of population will necessitate the readjustment of our representation in Parliament, and with extra new members we shall be in a position to demand a redistribution of Ministerial portfolios, and that no Ministry in power shall consist of six South Island men, with, only two Northern members.