NATIVE LAND SURVEYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14143, 19 August 1909, Page 6

NATIVE LAND SURVEYS.

NEW METHODS PROPOSED,

STATEMENT BY MR. CARROLL.

[BY TELEGRAM. —own correspondent.]

Wellington, Wednesday. The Native Minister (Hon. J. Carroll), speaking on the subject of the settlement of Maori lands to ft reporter, said that under the Native Lands Acts the approval of the Native Minister was required for the authority to survey native lands. This provision was made by the Legislature at the commencement of the surveys of native lands, as a safeguard against trouble arising between contending factions and claimants. Survey difficulties with the natives were frequent in the past, and recently there was the incident at Opuatia, in the Waikato, where Kerei Kaihau, a brother of Henare Kaihau, M.P., and a party of women stopped the survey party, . and took their surveying instruments from them. A little later there was trouble in the Urewera. country, which, for the first time, the surveyors entered for the purpose of establishing trigonometrical stations. The Maoris did not recognise the theory that all the lands of the Dominion belong to the Crown, and that before any area can be granted by the Crown preliminaries, such as surveys and investigations of title, had to bo gone through. In order, therefore, to deal with a difficult situation, the provision was made that all applications for authority to survey should be approved by the Native Minister. It was now recognised that circumstances had considerably changed, and that the necessity no longer existed for a provision of this nature. The Maoris everywhere had recognised the necessity of correct surveys before they could obtain the proper titles to their lands. Instead of requiring the majority of the owners of a block to sign applications for survey, it was now proposed that on the certificate of a, judge of the Native Land Court, that a survey was necessary, the duty was cast upon the chief surveyor of each district to make arrangements to carry out the order of the Court. Instead of the chief surveyor referring the matter to the Surveyor-General or the Native Department he would make his own arrangements. It was also proposed that, in order to expedite the completion of those surveys, the State should undertake or guarantee the survey charges, taking a lien against the land affected.