ORAKEI LAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22853, 7 October 1937, Page 16

ORAKEI LAND

EXPEDITING PARTITION TRIBUNAL SUGGESTED THE MAORIS TO DECIDE CASE BEFORE NATIVE COURT A decision either to accept or decline an offer by the Government to set up a tribunal to be presided over by a Judge of tho Supreme Court for the final partition of Orakei between the Maoris and the Crown will probably bo made in the near future by the Maoris of Orakei, according to a statement by Mr. J. J. Sullivan in the Native Land Court yesterday, when an application was heard for tho definition of Crown interests in two blocks. Mr. F. 0. V. Acheson, Judge of the Native Land Court, presided, and Mr. Hubble appeared in support of the Crown's application. Mr. Sullivan said lie had attempted to have the matter deferred, but tho Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, had informed him that the Lands Department was not agreeable to this, since the two blocks concerned were not included in the area which the natives were claiming at Orakei. Government's Proposal A short time ago, said Mr. Sullivan, he had received a communication from the Government stating that it was prepared either to call a conference of the natives flnd representatives of tho Government to try to settle all the outstanding questions of the Orakei block, or to give an opportunity to the Maoris of coming before a tribunal under the presidency of a Supreme Court Judge. Subsequently the Government had decided that the better course would be to appoint a tribunal and had asked Mr. Sullivan to see his clients to obtain their views on the matter. This would bo done within the next week or 10 days and the Maoris' decision would be sent to tho Government.

Mr. Hubble read a memorandum dealing with a scheme suggested by the Lands Department showing an equitable partition based on the proportion of shares purchased by the Crown and showing the area of land which the Crown claimed to bo entitled. The scheme would give a proportion of frontage to both parties and each would share pro rata in land remote from the existing frontage, in making the suggestion the department also had in view the certainty that future development at Orakei would include the construction of more streets, which would intersect the Crown and native areas, thereby giving each additional street frontages at a later date. Regarded as Urban Land The land, stated the memorandum, was not regarded as a rural area, but urban land which would ultimately be used for buildings Alternative schemes were put forward in an effort to meet the desires of non-sellers. The policy of the department was to develop the block further, and the area under discussion, together with Crown lands, would in dne course be subdivided and roaded.

It might be of mutual advantage to exchange the areas awarded to nonsellers on partition for sections of Crqwn land when the subdivision scheme was completed, the memorandum continued. To enable further subdivision to proceed, it was essential for the Crown to complete its title by registration of partition order. Several objections to the proposed partition were made by Maoris. Judge's Decision

After inspecting the blocks in company with a licensed surveyor, Mr. Acheson said he had come to the conclusion that it would be in the best interests of the native-owners to have all their interests located in one area. There could be no judicial grounds for holding up the partition, and ho did not think the partition would adversely affect any claims the Maoris might be making to the whole of Orakei.

Mr. Acheson said he had decided that the native non-sellers should come wholly out of one of the two blocks and from the frontage of the other, but they would be awarded the whole of the western portion of this second block on a valuation basis. Their grazing rents would be protected.