The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1731, 21 July 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1874.

A cobbespondent wants to know a great deal more than we can tell him regarding the unlocking of the land in this district, with special reference to the Piako, and how it is that some persons are permitted to step in and purchase the choicest spots in th 6 country in large blocks, while would-be small buyers for the purpose of bona fide occupation are precluded from negotiating with the Natives and hare no means of communicating with the Govern-; ment. This land question beats everything. Between the General Government; and the Provincial Government, and the ramifications of the Native Office, it is difficult to know how to proceed to acquire a bit of land, unless the intended purchaser has a friend in a Lands Purchase Commissioner, or some other big bug of the Native Department. We are as much in the dark as our correspondent as to the mode of procedure he should adopt to get the sanction of the * Government, even if he succeeds in completing a purchase. from the Native owners. "With regard to what v are known as " waste lands," coming un- •' der the operation of the Provincial Act, there would be no difficulty. The confis-

I cated lands, on the otlier hand are still administered (unless in regard 'to special ' blocks regarding which arrangements 1 hare been made between the Government of the Colony and the Government of the Province) by the General Government; and if the statements be tru« which have .recently gained publicity, the Government of the day have no objection to engage in land selling if the transactions be on a sufficient scale of magnitude. As to the lands still in tho hands of the Natives, we were under the impression that by the proclamation of 1872 private individuals were expressly prohibited from trafficking with the natives for their land within certain boundaries, such limits including nearly all the best land in this" district, the greater portion of which is believed to be more or less auriferous. The return moved for by Mr. Gillies may possibly elicit some information, either in the production of papers, or in the debate which is sure to, follow; and if it be true that large purchases of land have been made—begun and completed—since the issue of the prohibitory proclamation of 1872, then such purchases should be declared, null and void; a course of action which would, no doubt, give satisfaction to our correspondent and others in the same position as himself.

The Bill before the Parliament for extending the usefulness of the Government Life Assurance and Annuities Scheme, one of the provisions of which was considered of sufficient importance to have a paragraph devoted to it in the Governor's opening speech, has been read a second time, and is to be considered in committee to-day. The second clause repeals Acts, of 1869. and 1870; clause 15 enables married women to contract as if sol©, and dispose of interest in contracts by will; clause 20 makes life'annuities free from taxes; clause 26 provides for loans on policies; clause 27 makes provision for arbitration in disputes between the annuitant or his kin and the Commissioner ; clause 41 provides for annual accounts being laid before Parliament; clauses 42, 43, and 44 provide for an actuarial investigation every five years, and the bringing up of a statement and report; 45, the last clause, provides for a surplus of funds divisible among policy holders. This last clause is being hedged round with every kind of precaution to make its operation beneficial, and places the whole under the control of the House. The provisions here briefly indicated are calculated to make the Government scheire more popular than it now is. The mutual principle has great attractions for a certain class of insurers, and should the proposal to divide the accrued profits pass the House and become law, many persons will take advantage of the Government scheme in preference to taking out policies in a foreign company. Amongst the many measures of an advanced character which have been passed during Mr. Vogel's term of office as a Colonial Minister, not one is calculated to do more good in conferring lasting benefits upon the colony than the Life Assurance and Annuities Scheme.