NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 9

NATIVE LANDS.

• , A '.COMPH-EHENSIVE EETTJRN^; ; > / ■;, The following'return showing the' , approximate position of Native lands in the North' Island as at September 30, 1909, was laid on the table of the , House of K-opresentatites yesterday.- ■■)., ;(-:'i,y : ::::\ .-..•, ■■:-.■■ ■:<: . . ■;■■ ' v .•■'■■■■. "■■ ■ ■■: ■. Acres. Area of Native, lands held by Maoris ■'-■ "■■ '.- ... as at December 21, 1908, as estimated by the. Native Land Commission... 7,4(15,000 Less—(a). Area , since acquired,:..; '. ; "'■.-'. -..':: by Crown; purchase ;.'. .14,680; ■', ; ; . (b) Area since acquired bypri- ';■ •.' ■.'.'.' .-: vate purchasers ....... .28,495. : . ;, . : '(c) Area already sold and in- .:"'.'.'■■■'■'' . eluded in error in' Coinmis- .; ■' sion's estimate .... 20,000 :•■■ ■"■■ ' . ■•.•'■•■. ■••■• - ■ 63,175 Leaving a balance as at Septem- . , ,b0r,,30, of ............;. : 7,401,825 : Area Estimated to be Profitably.Occupied. (1) Lands leased''•' direct by '. . Maori owners .; ;............. 2,500,958 :■" _: (2) Lands leased on behalf ' •'•:,' -■; of. Maori owners, .....■....;...■..; 486,140- ■■■ (3) Lands in Maori occupa- . . '.".■.'.' tion tas papnkaingas . and .' ■.. . farms (estimated) .;....; 3G0.000 ■: . - :..' : ■■.' . ■ '■■■■■ . ; ;: —r 3,407,098 '.-■■.'. Leaving approximate balance of 3,994,727 The position of the balance is approximately as follows:—.' .. ■ ' ; \[; (1) Vested in the Public Trustee and ■'■".'' ■ available for settlement ........'. 55,750 (2) Vested in East Coast Trust Land . Cominissioners '..'.......■.. 122,712 (3) Vested in Trustees for Settlement ' (chiefly in Poverty Bay) :........... ■ 60,169 (4) Vested in Maori Land Boards::- . . '.■..;•! .:. (a)' Under Maori Lands Ad- .. ,' ■ , ministration Acts,■:'■ 1900-05, . . : ■ ' - , and under special' enact-: ;• ■ . ■' •.. ■ " ' ment or trust, and avail-.': .' .. ■ .able for lease ; 160,158 ; (b) Under Nativo Land Set- ■. •• - ' : : -'.; tlemont, Act, 1907, on the ' , ~" > ; recommendation of the Na- , ; '•,'"., ■■ tive Land Commission, and ■: '■■:■' .'available, for sale and '. ; lease „....;... 242,529 ' ; '■ ■■'■■ •■'.: i ::, ..".■■. :-- —•: 408,687 (5) Area in respect of which Orders .! in Council now in,course of prepare- ' .; ■■'',■' tion. (This will be available for : , '" sale and-:lease, under . the Native .■■: .. Land; Settlement Act, 1907) ....;.......... .15,814 (0) Balance rccoinmended by Native ?; ; .\ Land Commission for. general---.set- , .■;.'• :■ ; .' : tlemeat, but 'issue of Orders in :.;•■": ,■,-'•'■ '-..Council delayed pending allocation ■ ■ of areas and definition of boiindar- '■■'', ' ies ~ ......-..........: 415,407 (7) Areas in; respect, of which Maori . . .'. .'. Land Boards, appointed■ agents, for <;■.' >~ .. purposo of leasing ■to Maoris, as re-. ■• commended by. Nativo Land Commission ;...; .......;...;... ;......;.... 38,390 •(8) .Area.reservod by Order, in Coun- . ' ■ oil for.Maori occupation as family. -■■ -. ~.-, farms and papakaingas ..:.;...'..... ' 80,117 (9) Eecommended by.. Commission' to ~ ...' ■ bo incorporated 'for Maori occupa- V '.'■'• .tion . .....;............;.................;.,.:.,;.,..... 00,490 (10) Areas, incorporated, or in .courso,;...'> .•'.;'■, of-incorporation,' on application'by'. •;'-'•-•■•• :. Native, Minister, as/rraommended'-by !>. . ■ ■';-. 1 , Commission- I V , '• ■ • ' . .''■'•.■."•."■■.'. ■ ' : ' Maori occupation;..... 1 40,540 ' ■■ ' ' i;(b)'for occupation byMaoris: ■ ■■■>■'>'?■ ■ - and Eur0pean5,.....;......;..:.. 177,9G6 : : .' ; •• ■ •:-.■'■ ■'..- ' ■:'■■* : , ■-:.-' •■..:•■■ -":' . '.;,. ■■■.218,512 (11) Balance reconimeuded by ,'Com-. V■■■■-, ""■"■ mission ; to .be "reserved for' Maori '... -■' .'Occupation, not yet dealt with by Order in Council ;..'........:................ , 858,426 (12) Arba subject to timber agreements ' ' : •, . validated by Parliament ou Commission's recommendation .;........ ••■' 135,000 (13) Afed subject to Tutira and Wai- ; .. ■.■.'.' niarama leases validated by' Parlia- ''.' '.-: ' \meiit' ....„......; .;;....:..;............■.. 24,773 (14) Balance subject to the.. Thermal ■ -. '. .. Springs.Act, 1908—'.. ~ . '", : (a).ln respect to which powor '" ; ": ! to .lease ■ has been, dele- ■ .-. '. ' .gated to : the Board, by the. ■"■ ' . ■'■ : ; .Governor- .....i..i..,.i.......i... . 40,685 :. . '. (b) by , the '.•'„•'.' :','■'"• , '.Commission for. Maoriand. '."":'.': .■'■..'' ■■■''■:'■ European settlement .......;.', 67,308 .-'■' ■ •',' : I ..,V- .:-,,: '■.::" '/ ,' . : . ■ 107,993 (15)-Lands subject to tho Urewera v;, 1 .- .District Nativo' Reserves Act,' re- '. ' ■commended .by the Qeneral. Com,'"mittee to be vested in ,Board:for .: - ■purposes of lease (approximate) ;...., 180,000 : Total available for. 5ett1ement......\2,288,240 i This leaves a balance of 1,708,487 acres, -which may bo said not to be profitably utilised. This may be accounted for as follows':—. ■ '-.'. ■■: : .■■-■' . '::'• '•■ . ■■■;'.-.' ■'- .' ■■-' ■ .'Acres, ,(1). Papatupu land—the'titles, to. which :.. ]',:■:.. ■ have not' been investigated, or havo - r.- : been -only . partially investigated, ■ ; ' ' and until mvestigatipn . cannot 'be < '■'-.: settled ■ ...:.» .........................:.. 490,752 (2) Balance subject to-the 'Urewera . ..■ District Native Reserve, Act ........:. 466,862 (3) Balance'subject to the Thermal ■■■■ .-.-.■, .Springs. Act (estimated) .: 189,092 :(4) Balance not dealt with 559,181

■•.-,-;■ ■; : -. , ':,■■■:■■.■ ■ ■'■■::.-■ .-p •>';;.. 1,706,437 There is a large area under profitable occupation leased to Europeans either by informal leases or on short terms for grazing purposes. Reliable figures cannot bo obtained, and therefore for the purposes of this return these areas have been treated as not: being profitablv occu. ; In' the'Taupo and inland Patea districts there.is estimated to bo an area of ;5!iO,OOO acres, for the most part poor.land, which cannot be profitably utilised for many years to come.-' ':. ■■'. :• '.• ' ';'• ' ':■"' ■',' ' ■■ ■. • .. ■'■-■ '■ ■ -■'■ .■. ■.'. ■■ : ■■.-.•.. . ■. - Acres. Exclusive of tHe balance (358,426 acres] •: ■ . recommended by the Native Land ' 1 Commission for ■ Maori, occupation,, • •but not yet dealt with by Order in / ■■■ 'Council, the' area now availablo {or .o/ • v . settlement is •——•• •• - 1,348,061 To this may be added the area ac- . ": ' quired by the Crown ano\ available '. for .settlement on thfi optional sys- .-■„■' M tern ,-■■.■..■■■■.■•;■■■■.■— 281,033 • a total of ..- .......... 1,629,141.