NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 8

NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

A TEAR'S!; OPERATIONS;. •"■'A return laid'tfn'.the, table-'of the House-of 'Representatives, shows"'that the' 1 land purchase' 'Operations'carried'out under the' Maori Land Settlement Act, >1905, .were very .restricted; last 'year.'",-'-." '.- v' ' The Under-Secretary for Lands makes; the following comment:—This year,' owing' to the smair ; vbfe l ''tippropriated-for Native land purchases last 'o'ur.'p'urehases'.have necesjsarily been. bf''i"'ver^'.||imitedjarea,'the .itqjtalt -for.:the year., being",ohiyt' 6930.< acres' 3 roods* 8: .porches, some, of -jwhich -.were-vareas ,the pur'chase'of "which completed during ,the previous year. To complete 1 '- this arGa a ■ total °sam of ,i6399sil9s;''7.d;"'was paid during' the year; (Summarised','-the purchases Completed are ,ti3' -follow.—Auckland,,6sßß acres 2 roods .8 perches,• Costing iGSoiIV-Httwke's'Bay, 347 acres. 1. rood,, costing X243o;.:totals, .6935 acres 3 , roods ,-|B, ■perches, -'costing- - "^65974..' The area purchased in the Auckland district averaged about lis. ;por acre,: in -Hawke's.Bay cost •i£7 per acre;'but,.as the latter,.area was situated near Dannevirke, adjoining the railway iline and main coach-road,, the 'price: was not excessive. ' ; , 4 -

'■..."Should Parliament, provide the necessary ;authpritics, it is proposed to continue the pur-)Chase.-.0f,-:-Mabri. lands, where the :'owners : arb' willing-to'selli .' and . place their lands in the ■hands , of'.the .various .Maori* Land Boards'"for' ithat purpose; This. can be done tinder. the '.machinery, at .present.-existing. In. very many .cases" Maori. .Ofwners are • anxious. to «eU • to. the , Crown odd areas .'-which cut into Crown awards and are of no' nse to the owners, having,' perhaps, no road of access, or are. of such awkward shapes as to be unsuitable fpr. their own [Use, though falling into'.line Vith'. the ' Crown ;areas,' and " suitable -for settlement purposes when amalgamated, with /sucb Crown areas; The Maori I.atid Boards '.would, 'receive the purchase-morioys, and bo responsible for tljeir division amongst the Maori sellers.. It is also ;hoped to acquire during' the coming year'' a•considerable, area of 'land"suitable. for..close settlement out of the Moerangi Block, on the Haglan and Aotea . watershed, and also "to acquire an'.'additional area out of To Akau ilfe? 051811 , to supplement the area .of 15,000 acres already; purchased arid now subdivided .into suitable-areas for.close settlement, the opening of' which/, under . the optional clauses ..of ..The Eahd''.Act, 1908, has been de- ! ,ferred.until eairly in ljext spring, so' as to'allow the ■ formation of roads of access to be well advanced before tha selectors - are given' possession." .■' '-■■.■■ I ■'* .■. ■*■ - • '