MAORI LANDS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7056, 18 February 1910, Page 8

MAORI LANDS

THE OPENING UP POLICY. STATEMENTS. BY MINISTERS. "It'is impossible," said . the Hon. Dr Findlay, to ( a , "Now Zealand Herald" interviewer, "to escape the feeling -that Kaw'hia -lias not advanced us much during the past decade as iti should have ■ done, considering its splendid harbour and therich and fertile lands which surround it. Kaw'hia! is -practically surrounded by land held! by native 'owners. Tho great difficulty which has been experienced in obtaining titles over native land has seriously impeded progress :and settlement." Dr Fandlay said he found the people of Kawhia much interested in the Native Land Act of last session, an enactmontt) that faoilitaitos and provides fox tho obtaining of land in .proper cases from the -rua-tive owners.- Tho general feeling seemed toi him to be f halt the new law--would so greatly reduce the expense of obtaining titles and so facilitate, their oomplet-ion that a new stimulus tvould be-given, rto settlement and largo areas of fertile land that had long remained unused about the shores of the magnilloanit Saw-Ma-; Harbour would be occupied and cultivated. "From 'What I saw' on ', my visit," contimiea- Dr Mndlay, "there should now be -a marked stride forward in tho prosperity of tho Kiawhia district." He also referred to tlhe fadt that the new 1 Aot provides for the expenditure of £500,000 per year in acquiring native land. The people of Kaiwthia were encouraged by this to hope that some of the large and fertile areas there might be acquired for European, settlement.

NATIVE .MINISTER'S VIEWS. CROWN PURCHASES. OBSTACLES REMOVED. Dr Ftndlay's remarks .were brought under the .notice of, the Hon: J. Oarroll at Gisborne by a, ' "Herald" representative. The Native Minister stated that the .necessary financial provision for the resumption, of the pur-, chase of native land on 'a more extended ,-3cato had been, made last session. .Authority had been t'aken for the expenditure .up .to half a, million each .year, 1 and /probably, about tt.\vo million acres .would be acquired during the next few years. Tho policy of Crown purchase, the Native Minister .went on to say, "was shut down many years "ago, in ; the early years of the Seddctn AdniiniJtratioii, ; in response to the protest raised hy the native race of gross injustices having been perpetrated. Since the days of the Ballance Government, purchases bad bean effected on a much more restricted basis, but he considered fully, two million acres in .all had 'been, ac•quirod. Three huhd'red thousand mores, for instance, wore purchased in 1907, including Te Akuiu block, land at Opotiki, Wanganui, and elsewhere. Purchases had been, completed, and the bulk of this had or was now going to tho .market. Purchase, would be conducted by the Maori I/and Purchase .Board,, ,and .under the present machinery a repetition of the former abuses was not possible, since it was stipulated hy the legislation that the .price paid was not to bo .less than the Government valuation. With). ,this provision tho natives tare ait liberty to bargain with the Government for the sal© ,of their land wherever, they, choose, provided.tha sale is not detri-. mental to their interests. No special areas had so far been mapped out for purchase, and other than perhaps in tho Northern Waiapu there .was little loft in this district .that was not already in occupation. ,