NATIVE LANDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6489, 8 April 1908, Page 8

NATIVE LANDS.

KBPOUT ON COOK COUNTY. CtKCO.MMBNDATIOXS H BOARDING TU LISTS. BACKWARD ,MAOKIR. Th(i report of tbo Nativo Land Commireuui fbir (iobnrt Stout ami Mr A. T. Ngnta, M.P.) upon Hie Maori lands of Cook County has barn sent to Ms Ur - rolionry the Oovnnior. .Imlging by tbo Joteiln given of tbo block;; subject to inquiry, and luc gonorai opinion of Iho Commission, not much of tbo ana rover cl by tbo report is likely to be made available for Jmroprnn settlement. The report shows that tbo area of Ibo county is 1 ,313,011, aeres, npproxinatoly, of which IMG,GOO acres approximately. have boon acajuirpd by Hu- Crown and by Uiiiopfiin,, the bnbinco. bring 1(111(13 owned by the .Maoris or held in trust for them.

TRUST BANDS ADAIfNISTRATI(IN Sonic comment is made u«m the ndministration of trust hi nils in Poveilv Ha,V._ The Wi Pcro Trust INtidr U diuicifically excepted, but, the remark.. ivpjily to the following:—lD Bast Const ■Must binds, .administered by .a Comuii. -.i ,ncr. 130,333 acres; (2) ), :i „d K ministered by Trustees apuointed unrlcr tbo Native Land Lawn Amendment Act. 1897. which includes lands incorporated by tho Mnngntu No. I Empowering Act, ira.'J, via., Mangntn No. I 7l),2!)(i acres, Mnngntu No, 3 3GSO acres Mamoatn No. * WH« nerre; total, 33.976 ncris; (3; Lands Administered bv receiver anpointrd by Validation Court. 12,323 acres; (I) Lands administered by Hie T.air.awbit i Maori Band Board; (a) Vested in Board 53.221 narco, tb) for winch Board is receiver 5i,172 acres; total, 37,303 acres; grand total. 375.ff>3 acres.

We estimate the value of Ihcso various pantos at not Iros than .C/iOO.OOO, stafro the report. There are four separata systcns of administrafion, wilh three seta i>f staff* and sets of olßnns. Throe diverse administration have arisen not because it Av-'»rt foil; that they wore* rmccssnry, but limy have boon called into existence through the peculiar circumstances of native land title* in the dhftriat. Tim timo has arrived. in our opinion, when throe lands should be administered by ono body. There would be n great waving in the nrwt of administration. It should not bo difficult to combine the various estate* under one Board. The functions of the Bast Coast Trust Land# Commissioner in respect of lands reserved for Maori occupation can he performed by the Monri Land Board, and tho administration of such lands adapted to conform to Part IT. of the ‘Votive Land Settlement Act. 1007. As to thn undisnosed-of balance of the tru.st lands, t.ho terms of the lenses are similar, while the power of sale vested in the Commissioner can ho exercised by the Maori Land Board, but in order that the Maori Land Board may properly administer tlm combined rotates B is necessary that it should havo a competent accountant and receiver.

A BUSINESSLIKE LEASE. Referring to leases granted by the Tniravvhiti Land Board the Commission states:—We noto that in leasing to Europeans it m usual in this district to incorporate the owners of tho lands proposed to b© leased. After incorporation tho elected committee takes the necessary stops for leasing, and wonkl-bo lessees and that instead of dealing with numerous and scattered owners they can conduct business with a compact committee of from three to seven, who can give them a valid title. If in addition to tho present law relating to incorporated blocks the committees were required to soli tho leases by auction, this system of alienation would bo an excellent one. It is expeditious; it is growing in popularity with tho Maoris; it r.courcs to negotiators n guarantee ot title and tho minimum of expense in conducting negotiations. Wo reserve for a general report further remarks on this mode of alienation. DISPIRITED MAORIS.

Farming by Maoris is not carried on i>n the same scale and with tho same heart as in the Walami County, It is not that, tho Maoris lack the capacity nr desire to farm their lands, but they hay© been depressed by constant litigation, extending over twenty years, which resulted in their losing tho control of nearly 400,000 acres of land. They seem to bo dispirited and lacking in initiative. At Tolnga Bay, in tho Puninga, Maraotohn. Mangatu, and Waimnta districts may b© seen the small beginnings of a pastoral industry, which should bo fostered even at this late day. There is urgent need of tho services of a competent instructor in agriculture, and we hope that tho recommraendation we made In that respect in our report of July 11th, 1007 (Parliamentary paper G, 1c) will not be lost sight of. Wo do not hesitate to recommend that a largo proportion of the lands now remaining in tho hands of tho Maoris of this district should be 'reserved for their uso and occupation under Part IT. of the Native Land Settlement Act. 1907. In some cases we are able to recommend leases to Maoris lessees specified by the owners. Wo are not able to make any recommendations at present in respect of some of the lands in tho last schedule. Wo await further information . regarding them. We propose to re-visit Poverty Bay some time in June to make further inquiries into the position of the trust and other lands.