TARANAKI NATIVE LANDS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9697, 5 March 1910, Page 3

TARANAKI NATIVE LANDS.

With regard to the recent Native conference at Okaiawa, the Hon. J. Oarroll, Minister for Native Affairs, in the course of an interview at Stratford, stated that at the present time there were abont 300 beneficiaries from Native reserves la Taranaki, while about Maoris were landless. The whole area ot land belonging ot the Natives in the province was about 193,000 acres. Of this area there were some 117,000 aores leased under the perpetual lease tenure. Eighteen thousand acres that wete leased under the Land Act, 1881, were not perpetual, and tbe leases would run out iu a year or two Thera were also 3000 acres under short leases that would expire at an early date. Further, there was an area of Native land, some 15 000 aores in extent, near Parlbaka that the Natives desired to have out up into areas suitable lor farming pnrsuits. As matters at present stood, continued Mr Oarroll, there was a great dearth of land for the Natives to farm and live npou. The Maoris desired to secure more land for the future, so that they could go in for farming operations themselves. They were prepared to farm their land on the same lines as Europeans and would be subject to the same taxation. Their condition at present was viewed with alarm by the more enlightened members of the race, and they looked to the land to batter their condition. They claimed that what they asked for was on fair and legitimate grounds. Regarding the 18,000 aores the lease of which would expire in a year or two, the natives contended that there were many more of their race that required the country than those at present in occupation. It the present moment their land was held by some 135 Europeans, while there were 34UU Maoris who required it to divide amongst themselves to enable them tlo live under better conditions. The Natives did not object to any reasonable claims that the Europeans might mass should the land revert to the Maori and they further thought that the time had arrived when the Public Trustee, as |administrator of Maori land affairs, had fulfill-d his mission, and that a “change was desirable whereby the management ~of their own lands might be more in the keeping of themselves. Te Wbiti and Tohn had gone, and hundreds of their followers were seeking unavailingly for land to settle upon, having looked in vain for tbe prophets to secure it for them, Tbe Natives were desirous that the question should be framed to readjust the whole of the reserve at present under the jurisdiction of the Public Trustee. Questioned as to what scheme the Natives had in view with respect to paying the claims for improvements by the present occupiers of Native lands, Mr Oarroll stated that a fund had been started. At present there was some £14,000 in the bands of the Public Trustee, from which the Natives secured interest at the rate of per cent. In addition, the cost of administration by the Public Trustee, 7 per cent, could be devoted to a fund, should the administration be taken over by the Natives. These sums would form the nucleus of a fund for paying off the Pakeha’s improvement claims and the Natives hoped farther to receive assistance from the Government, by means of advances, pledging the land as security. The whole question would be brought before Parliament during next session.