Native Appellate Court.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 13, 28 September 1910, Page 4

Native Appellate Court.

The Native Appellate Court, which has just concluded an important sitting at Kaitaia and Kaikohe, in the North of Auckland, tho presiding judges bein'.Chief Judge Jackson Palmer and Jud«e Holland, dealt finally with the ascertainment of the native ownership of 81,367 acres of land held by natives under their customs a ml usages, besides dealing with' numerous partitions anil other matters. As a result of the sitting Crown grants will lie issued for the following blocks of land, the ownership of which was settled by the Court: Ahipara 6654 acres, Motatan No. 5 22,035 acres, Wuikare 9437 acres, Waerengatua 152 acres, Whaka-tere-Manawakaiaia 11,373 acres, Maungakawakawa 7470 acres, Mataraua 4880 acres, Kohatutaka 13,717 acres, Tuhuna 2140 acres, Kohcwhata 2010 acres.

Matauri No. 1 1034 acres, and Motukauamii 435 acres. Most of these blocks lie along the route the North Auckland railway will run, and the Government have been anxious to have the titles of the blocks completed before the railway runs through. The effect of issuing Crown grants tor these 81,000 odd acres of land will be that now the native ownership is ascertained, those who could not previously deal with it will not be hampered by the former disabilities, and will be in a position to deal with the land, subject to th® restrictions concerning such dealings under the native land laws of the Dominion. The greater portion of this land is volcanic, the soil being of a nature similar to that in the districts surrounding Mr. Eden and Mt. Albert. The 81,000 acres are probably worth over £250,000.