MAORI LAND PURCHASES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14511, 27 October 1910, Page 7

MAORI LAND PURCHASES.

OPERATIONS IN AUCKLAND, [BT TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. A report on the Maori land purchase operations for the year ended March 31, 1910, has been presented to Parliament. Under the powers conferred by the Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905, the purchases requiring completion have been dealt with, and Mr. R. A. Patterson, of the Land Department, was appointed land purchase officer, for the purpose of closing up all Maori land purchases in progress in the Lands Department, in order that future land purchase operations may be undertaken by the Board brought into existence by the Native Land Act. The area actually acquired, and the titles to the Crown completed on June 20 amounted to 15,588 acres, whilst the areas still on hand awaiting completion of titles amounted to 22,476 acres, to which might be added about 20,000 acres of the Moerangi block, giving a total of 42,476 acres under negotiation. Practically the whole of these lands were in. the Auckland land district. The following is a statement of the expenditure during the financial year: — On purchases completed during the year, ±;z1,952 17s 2d; on purchases incomplete, £9471 18s 8d; surveys administration and general expenses, £465 18s 6d; total, £31,890 14s 4d. The funds were provided as follows : — Maori land settlement account, £437 lis 8d ; from the Public Works fund (purchase of native lands), £31,453 2s 8d ; total, £31,890 14s 4d.