"DUMMYING" NATIVE LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13296, 1 October 1906, Page 4

"DUMMYING" NATIVE LANDS.

AMENDED LEGISLATION CALLED FOR. [BY TELEGRAPH..—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Wellington, Saturday. For some time past there have been re ports current of speculation and dummyi SII in native lands in the Taibape district ant vicinity. The matter was brought befort Parliament recently by a largely signet petition, praying that steps be taken to prevent speculators and native land agents ". from dealing improperly in native lands and that the whole question of opening up" ' native lands for close settlement by way of lease be considered. Mi. A. L. [) Flaser, chairman of 'the Native Affairs Committee, reported that, as the question was one of policy, the committee had no recommendation to make. On Friday afternoon a discussion on the ■ question was raised in the House by Mr Remington, who said he knew cases ia I. which "dummying" was going on. The leases of native lands were being taken up not for bona-fide sett lement, but for speculative purposes, and there was a danger of their eventually finding their way into the hands of one or two people. "The Native Minister said this was being done in some cases by families taking up different areas, and there might be a danger that in the future such lands would drift into the hands of one person. There wan no infringement of the law, because the law made no provision against it. The matter V.j should be provided for this session. Last year's Act must be read in connection with the principal Act under which the area one $ person could take lip was restricted. Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, speaking on the question, said l he feared the Native Minister was misinformed. He held that, all restric- - tions and limitations in regard to leasing " were removed by section 16 of the Act of 1905, as far as the area that, could be ac- inquired by a European was concerned. A " native, on the other hand, was limited in ' regard to the area he could lease. An Hon. Member: • "There should bo a-'fß restriction in regard to the area a European cam lease." ■ Mr. Fraser: "I quite agree.", Mr. Fraser added' that in regard to the II main question of the Act, he was giving not only his own opinion, but also the ,'j opinion of leading counsel in the colony. * ' If a native held, say, 10,000 acres of second- ~ class land lie would have to lease it in five separate areas of 2000 acres each, yet' one . European might acquire the lot. There should be legislation restricting the area that could be held by a European. The , report of the committee was ordered to lit on the table. /» ; '■!