USE OF NATIVE LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 108, 27 October 1911, Page 3

USE OF NATIVE LANDS.

A CHEERFUL FORECAST. SETTLEMENT PROCEEDING WITH (iOOD RESULTS. '"A study of the figures should satisfy the pessimists that the Native Department is doing all it tan towards the settlement of native lands. The Act of 1909 is. no doubt, the contributing-factor and when all its provisions are more universally known and the parties concerned take the necessary initial stops the cry of

'unoccupied native lands' will be a thing of the past At the present rate of progress it may be assumed that, after eight years, there will be little, if any, native land that is not revenue producing." This statement, by the Under-Secre-tary for Native Affairs, is the keynote «f the annual report upon the working of the Native Land Courts and Maori Land Boards during the past year which was presented to Parliament in manuscript on Tuesdav. ! RECORD FIGURES.

Jn the case of the Land Court there has been a marked increase in business, there being a total of 22,.')4:S cases scheduled, as against 9055 the year before. To deal with this enormous amount of work the court held sittings in forty-six different localities. It investigated the ownership of an area totalling 180,07fly 2 acres, hitherto unclothed with a title, and also dealt with 833 partitions affecting an aggregate area of 503,289 acres, j The Native Appellate Court was also kept very busy, dealing with 471 cases in all. It is stated that the large increase in business is doubtless due to the ad-' j vantages of the present law. The re- j venue from court fees, etc, amounted to the record sum of £ £(5835. SURVEYS BLOCKING SETTLEMENT. The boards were also very busy during the year in respect to the revision and confirmation of private alienations and the administration of a considerable area of trust lands. The number of leases approved was 435, of a total area of 110,498 acres, while 000 transfers (78,340 acres) were consented to. The aggregate area of lands administered by the hoards is 973,010 acres. It is mentioned that settlement is being hung up for want of surveys, and although all the surveyors' available are engaged they are unable to I cope with the demands made. Until thej surveys arc made it is impossible to comply with the provisions of the law and place the land on the market. Some 0(i.3.35.'J acres are now under survey

The boards' revenues ;ire regarded as self-supporting. They are doing good work and facilitating settlement to a large extent. The advantages obtainable through the provisions as to assembled owners' meetings arc becoming better known and increasing areas are being dealt with under them. The sums handled bv the six boards last year totalled .€103,758 14s. PURCHASES IXCREASTXG.

The purchase of native land? has gone on apace. The Purchase Board has been engaged dealing with numerous offers ag-, gregating 902,074 acres. The purchase of 75,437 acres was completed, and that of some 430,500 acres is in course of completion. It is held that the position of the Maori Council Act needs attention. From the point of view of health, fays the report, it is advisable that the working of the councils should be under the jurisdiction of the Public Health Department.