MR. FRASER ANNOUNCES ROYAL COMMISSION ON MAORI LEASES

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 November 1949, Page 5

MR. FRASER ANNOUNCES ROYAL COMMISSION ON MAORI LEASES

WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA). —The Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, today announced the appointment of the Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Myers, P.C., G.C.M.G., Mr. Hubert M. Christie (Wellington) and Mr. Richard Ormsby (Te Kuiti) as a Royal Commission to inquire jnto a problem which has arisen in relation to the leases of certain of the lands vested I in the Maori Lands Boards. The Maori lands involved comprise |an aggregate area of something like j 140,000 acres, located in the WangaI nui, King Country and North Auckj land districts, which were many years I ago vested in the Maori Land Boards ■for administration purposes. Leases | of the lands were granted containing 'rights to compensation for improvejments at the end of the terms, and recently, when it became necessary to 1 make valuations to determine the 1 I amount of compensation to which 1 {lessees were entitled, a host of diffi-1 [ cult questions arose in connectionwith the improvement clauses in the leases, said Mr. Fraser. Finally, after much discussion with representatives of the Maori owners concerned and of the lessees, the Government, with the concurrence of the parties, decided to appoint a Commission to make a i thorough examination of all aspects ! of the problem which the compensa- ; tion clauses present. I Mr. Fraser said the inquiry was 1 directed to the doing of what was fair and just as between the parties, and he was sure that end would be attained. In discussions with the Maori owners he had been impressed with their reasonableness and he was pleased with the way the lessees had ;so readily agreed to a course of : action which he did not doubt would be in the best interests of the owners, the lessees and the country generally. =