IDLE NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 4

IDLE NATIVE LANDS.

"THIS-HOLE-AND-CORNER BUSINESS." Somo frank remarks regarding tho crnment's Native land policy were made in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Mr. R. B. Hops (Palliatua), a member of tin- Government party. Mr. Ross asked tho Prime Minister whether tho Government intended to make provision this session lor utilising Native lands which were lying idle. Ho s'.id that there were three blocks of Niltire land situated respectively in tho vicinity of Pahiatna, lliinncvirko, and Woodv'ille, comprising about 112,01)0 acres of first-class dairy lands. Some of tho leases of this land expired twelve months ago, and for a year it had boon _ subject, to a proclamation reserving the right of purchase to the Government Tho proclamation liad been extended for six months, and the present position was that the land affected had been lying idle and neglected for a year. Fouling in tho district was very st-rong about this matter, and tho local bodies wore crying out for their ratus. It was absurd to allow land in the vicinity of townships and railways to lie idle. Unscrupulous lawyers were operating in the district In nearly every case that came along, when tho Government proposed to acquire land theso lawyers intervened, and suggeslod that they were prepared to give £b or i'G an aero more. The result wis that the Nntives held back. Many of them in the end were loft to stock their own land, and they did it very badly. Tho land was in nearly us bad a state n.s the barren hill-tops in Central Olago. "I do hope the Government will put an end to this hole-and-corner business," said Mr. Ross. "Either let us have froe-trado in Nativo lands or somo definite provision for acquiring Native lands which are not being used to their full capacity." The Minister for Lands (Sir Joseph Ward) replied that ho recognised the importance of the matter. It was tho duty of the Government to sec that there was the same justice and honesty of administration in tho taking of Native lands as in the taking of European lands. The Government proposed to put as much activity in acquiring both Native and European lands as tho means at its disposal would permit.