THE MOKAU LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 23, 21 July 1911, Page 5

THE MOKAU LANDS.

REPLY TO MB. MASSEY'S AOCUSA TIONS.

A DIFFERENT COMPLEXION. f By Telegraph—Press Association. Hastings, Yesterday. Interviewed this morning regarding Mr. Massey's criticism of the Mokau land deal, a member of the syndicate stated that there was no truth in the statement that the syndicate had acquired a further 17,000 acreg. The facts regarding the transactions are apparently very different from what Mr. Massey made them appear. There are several blocks reserved near the coast for the use of natives. The £28,000 paid for them was considerably more than they would have received in rents for the lands which were leased for twenty years. The Order-in-Council was signed long before the syndicate was formed, and Mr. McNlb and other members had nothing to da with it. The Mokau estate ■is -now - vested in the chairman of the Mani&poto Land Board, and titles will be giveij by, him. This complies with the Land Ad in regard to limitation of area, and thl syndicate has to dispose of the sections within three years. The Hon. T. Mackenzie recently stated that he was only too pleased the syndicate had taken the settlement «*Dthe Mokau lands in hand, as it was far , too complicated a business for the Gov* erament to undertake. The Commissioner of Crown at New Plymouth told the eyndiefiS that it would be a great advantage >.tp the Department if the syndicate woUld purchase and cut up the block.of Qro*]i lands at the top end of the Moluu estate.. It would facilitate settlement and remove roading difficulties, nlma«t insurmountable in any other way. The syndicate, however, has not purchased this land, and Mr. Masßey has evidently been misinformed. The interview concluded with the statement that had the syndicate, not taken the Mokau estate, land settlement there would have be& delayed a long time, probably for another twenty years. .

THE OFFICIAL POSITION. STATEMENT BY ACTING-PREMIER. Wellington, Last Night. In reference to a statement by Mr Maasey concerning the sale of wfhat is known aa the Mokau Block, Sir Jainea Cbotot states that the official position is, briefly, ae fOttawa:— ;Th» Mokau-Mohafeaitmo blocks compose an area of 56,000 acres. In the month of July, 1882, Mr. Joshua Jones aaraagedl a lease for & term of 56 yean at a very amail rental, also certain royalties being payable on products. In or about the year 1888 a special Act rijj ,l wss ®d by the then Government (Mknison), which practically confirmed Jones' tease, though it was incomplete. After many years' litigation (in England principally) in various farm® bjr Jones and assignees, the estate finally passed to Mr. Hermann Lewis'by mort- . gageea sale for a sum of £14,000. At tons time certain sub-leases, given there- ,' for , tlle preceding period, were gnwwed and duly registered under the land Transfer Act, so that suib-leßSesS put aa indefeasible title, Suit aa the leasehold conditions were not favorable in so far as protecting any improvemeats placed thereon during the Currency of the leases, many of the lessees not afford to spend large stuns for improvements. The land l l»% therefore, under lease at a very low rental and having almost thirtv years to run, made the position one outside of the lessee in whidh two interests were paramount, wunely, the interest* of the najtire owners, and also of the public.

Taking the interests of the native owners, they had tut verv small sums to receive for a period of almost thirty yeans, and no prospects of any extensive improvements being effected to give them enhanced value, while increasing liability, such as land tax, left them what might be considered for tibtii period) something of infinitesimal valtae. "As to the public interest, t« the north, south, and east of the Uock settlement was going on- apace, and this block in its unsatisfactory position waa hampering settlement generally, and in the public interest it was necessary that something should be done to promote trie s&tne. ,

"As to the value of the lands, in IAOS the Valuer-General said tlie valuation of the native yiwners' interest* was £11,337. The number of owners was approximately 200. The special valuation of owners' interests f or th« recent proposals cave a sum of £14,881, find arTnniommiti for the sale between owners and purchaser was a sum of C 25.000. A considerable number of the owners do not reside in the district, ma.ny of them livin?«f Otaki. Wow Ply. mouth and Te K.titi. -ntl Wng no direct interest in v?fam ! "'r rights in this block, while, on -.l'm ntfcer Viand, thev required fun#? them in their respective hoidi.ips hi wfiich they were now settM. so in ffceir interest | the nronosa? of ready cash was very 1 ffafo'wftutforr.

'Coming more directly to the question of public interest, it should not require much argument to decide that point. The land had been locked up for twwityfive yeatc, no satisfactory settlement was pending, and no probability of any advance being made in the remaining thirty-five years. Their (fore, as the holder of the leasehold interest had arrania>ed what to the Government was,, considered a satisfactory price to be paid to the native owners, and. further, had given the Government a guarantee that on an Ordcr-in-Cbnneil fewintr thft land in miction would lie sub-divided into "section-, ill accordance wiMi the limitation of area* na provided bv part T? of the Native T/iind Act. 7000. nnd that no delnv would take olace in proceeding therewith, the Government has furl,her guarded the public interest bv nllowins the president of the board for the dit-tvict to accept the title to tlhe land on the terms proposed. and which j provided th it If the parties interested in the purchase of the la.ml did not within three vpars from the dite of the sale sub-divide and open for competition thft block wit* limitation of areas a 1? previously mentioned, then tlhe lxwird hid an absolute right to proceed with the sub-division nnd sale of the land oil its own initiative.

"As the transaction was a private one, the local authority woul(1 sop tint the requirements of the Public Works Act were fullv complied with. and. tV vnfore, that question could be left to tllflt body, as until roads are duly prodnimed no registered title can be issued. "At tlhe nresewt time two or fhvee survey parties arc. and have been rinc« negotiatTojiis were completed, pushinc ahead with the sub-divisional wotTc n"d roadinsr. so tJwt before next rear's Irtishfnllnng season the larger portion «f this block -should be submitted to public competition. "By Wip action ofthe Government f=ettJomenit of this large block of 56,100 nws is assured, nnrf thnt within 'he ltßtftettotts Act. wlhieli limiffllion i* emi-ideiiWv under the nrefi. allowed liv nnri 1H of tlin Land Act, 1908. This block of land is to be settled without the Government bain" called upon in anv war to assist in the wheme in question by way t>t finajwe." . , - '