NATIVE LANDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10647, 26 April 1906, Page 4

NATIVE LANDS.

LKGISLATION OF LAST SESSION. NOT CARRIED INTO EFFECT. DISCONTENT IN HAWKE'S BAY. There is considerable discontent existing m Hawke's Bay at the inactivity displayed by the Native Department m not carrying into effect legislation placed upon' the statute book last session. " Tliis unsatisfactory position, remarked Mr A. L. D. Eraser, M.H.R., to a New Zealand Times reporter at Hastings, "is duo to the neglect of the Government m not yet having set up the Board constituted under the Maori Lands Settlement Act of last session. The leading principle of that Act with regard to the alienation of native lands was that all restrictions existing on antitle could be removed ; that instead of tbe cumbersome machinery of years past (having to apply first of all for the removal of restrictions, then for an Order-in-Council, ancl then again for confirmation) the procedure was very much simplified, for if the rent received under any lease is not less tlum 5 per cent, of* the land tax valuation, the Board could practically give its confirmation of a lease. The Board was to consist of three persons — two Europeans ancl a Maori, ancl its province under the act was, first of all, to confirm the leases; if m the interests of settlement, to have a revaluation made of any lease; ancl to approve of the leases of poorer classes of country up to practically any area within reason — say, land like that under the Run bines, ancl they could lease up to 20,000 or 30,000 acres. "Thero are five native Land districts m the North Island. Two of these — having as the country within their jurisj diction land north of Auckland, ancl the | district extending along the East Coast from the Mohaka river to the East Cape — are working under a separate part of the act of last session, the distinction being that m these districts the Native Minister, if m tho interests of settlement, or the native owners, could hand over any lands for a term of fifty years to be administered by the Board. The remaining three districts are only affected as described above. In one of the districts, Wanganui, a Board has been duly set-up, and is, I have no doubt, exercising the jurisdiction conferred upon it by the act. But m this district, which extends from the Mohaka river on the north to the Wellington province on the south, no Board has yet been set up, the result being that a large area of land is lying idle and cannot be dealt with. There are now at least forty to fifty leases m this district awaiting the approval of the Board. This is a great hindrance to settlement, ancl very disappointing to both Europeans and natives who are now ancl may be m the future willing to negotiate for the lease of their lands. " There can be no excuse for the Board not being set up, considering that one has already been appointed for Wanganui. It is absurd to say that two men, capable Europeans, could not Ibe found, and one native-, to transact the business of- the Board, seeing that the act practically guides the Board m regard to what it has to do. The question affects this district more than any other, because we have the native lands here. There are now leases falling m to the north of Napier, the area of which is several hundred thousand acres. These have all got to be renewed and approved by a Board which is not yet constituted. "I can attribute this ncgclct to nothing but to the neglect of the Native Department. . It is well known that it has had applications for Orders-in-Council for some years, to allow the alienation of native lands, but up to the present neither 'yes' nor 'no' has been vouchsafed by the Department. Everything seems to be hungu p. There was gazetted on March 29th last a notice for this Board — the Ikaroa — to sit. On inquiry lo the Under-Secretary for Justice subsequently, I was informed that the Board had not yet been set up. By the gazetting of this notice many persons were led to believe that the business of the Board would be commenced, only to proceed to Wellington on a 'wild goose chase.' If the Government is serious m its endeavour to settle the land, it should give facilities for the acquirement by lease of these large areas. Practically all the native kind m the district between Pctane and Mohaka, about _00,000 acres, and inland from Moawhango, about 250,000 acres, could be dealt with by the Board — it is now nil ready, and a class of land m the administration of which the Board could really show its usefulness, of grazing country that could be taken up m large areas under lease . for twentyone years. Coming down to the Heretaunga plains and the surrounding district, there is an area of from 80,00G to 100,000 acres of native leases falling m. Altogether, there are about 1,000,000 acres of native land m this district affected, and the Board js not yet set up." Mr T. W. Lewis, solicitor, well versed m native affairs, who was present at the interview, remarked : " There is no doubt of the correctness of the position stated by Mr Eraser. The act has been practically rendered abortive, so far as this district is concerned, through the failure to set up the Board under the legislation of last session. The natives are quite ready to take advantage of the act, under 'whiih they could proceed with the settlement of their lands, as there is a great difficulty m getting a sitting of the Native Land Court. There has not been a- sitting of the Couit here for abuot twelve months."