THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 3

THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

ANOTHER 'SIDE 01' THE STOET. ■ Sir,—l notice my name among other members of the M'Canlle family bus bosn moJo use of in a return asked for hy Mr, A. W. Hogg, U.V. He states that the whole of the pick of the King Country has been taken up "at from fid. to 9d. per aero, and that only worthless country remains. My land is in the ltangitoto 'fiib.ua Block, .is third-class, and contains 2375 acres, all bush land. I have to pay an average of Us. per acre for 42 years,, without compensation. 1 have to survey it myself at a cost of ,£ll7. I pay rent from the" first signature; there are 22 signatures, and the last one cost rav .£SO to obtain. I have been paying rent for three years uJid six months. The survey has been completed nearly six months. I have expended i!I37S on improvements and expenses,, and have not got a registured title yet. When t.lio 42 years ore ,up this property, with tho whole of the improvements, goes back to tho Native owners—not to my family. On land held by my brothers and myself during thres years 2400 acres have been sown in grass, ton miles of fencing has been erected; or, roughly, ,£IO,OOO has been tpeni in tho Te. Kuiti district. I may state that the rabbits were so thick that I fired 100 roiuids away in three hours' shooting on Native land, within three miles of tho railway station. The country is full of noxious weeds, which, if allowed to remain undisturbed, will render the balance of this country valueless, as it will cost more than.it is worth to clean. It is now 23 years sinca 1 took up my first section of Crown land in the Mastetton Block. Mr. ,A. W. Hogg was a fellownsettler, in name only, as he (lid not fell one acre of his section. After some years I sold out, and ipok np another section in the l'ongaroa district. Mr. A. W. Hogg was also ouo of those who took up a section in this block, "but his heart again-failed him," and, after' keeping another settler out for some years, "he continued his occupation as a footpath farmer." I want to make my position clear in this matter. -I am in the King Country not for my health, but to make money. There are hundreds ' of thousands of acres of land, and good land, the Natives are willing-to deal as long as they get fair value or a little more. They pay no rates—wo must pay as soon as we get the land—and when I state that there are hundreds of thousands of acres of good land, I ask Mr. Hogg to produco one wan who is acquainted with 'the King- Country who will say different.. I would suggest that all kases should carry compensation, as otherwise, when the'expiration is in sight,-they will be left in very bad order. This question is a very large one, and anyone who knows the country will realise the difficulties there are to be overcome. Also, I would suggest that tho leases should carry compulsory, improvement clauses. Tlie present limit is a fair one as to area. The new system of dealing with •'■ the business' of the Court is very much bettor than of yore, but as regards the delay of survoys there is too much patience required. We also want'men who know' what they are talking about, _ not faddists, whose only experience is theoretical, to deal with this question —I am, 6tC- ' JAS. M'CARDLE.