A SUCCESSFUL LAND POLICY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 8

A SUCCESSFUL LAND POLICY.

During the past fortnight 327,000 acres of land oil the Hast Coast have been changed from Native land to land of European title, and can without undue delay or expense be thrown open for profitable settlement. The purchases of the Crown in one block alone, the Tabor,i, have been defined by the Land Court to be over 180,000 acres, and the remainder of the block', 00,000 acres, Ims been vested in the lion J. Carroll and Mr Wi Fere as trustees for the estates and the Native owners. The Mangapoiki Block, containing 00,000 acres, lias also been vested in the same trustees, as well as 34,000 acres of Maungawaru. Several other large blocks are also lining dealt with in a similar manner, in which the Government purchases aro estimated at GOOD acres, and the area to be vested in trustees between 23,000 and 24,000 acres. In the Whangara case, receivers have been appointed to utilise a great part of the 13,000 acres now unoccupied in that block.

The settlement of these blocks in this manner lias been arranged in an amicable manner out of Court, thus saving the enormous expense and the great bitterness between (he Natives and the Government officers which have hitherto often arisen. There was great unanimity of opinion shown against the Natives in Tahora Block. There wore 2500 Native owners,yet 200,000 acres of that land were divided between the Crown and trustees by common consent, and without a dissenting voice. In tho Mangapoiki Block, in which twelve or fifteen different Jlapus were concerned, there was but one objector, and lie, after argument in Court, withdrew his objection. In tho Maungawaru, where there were between 500 and (iOO owners, there was not a solitary objection, and in the Mangahora and Whangara tho people were practically unanimous.