WEST COAST LEASES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1536, 4 September 1912, Page 5

WEST COAST LEASES.

PUBLIC TRUSTEE'S PROPOSAL. ASSISTED SETTLEMENT. : The position of the West Coast Settlement.Reserve leases -is- briefly reviewed in the annual report <of the Public Trust Department, which'was. presented to Parliament yesterday! . The Public Trustee mentions that tho Commission recently appointed to'inquiro into the ipsition of these leases recommended that tho Natives should, not.be deprived of the opportunity of, obtaining occupation of tho land by outbidding the present.lessees. . ■ "It must be remembored, however," Dr. Fitchett continues, "that the lands are in a high state of'cultivatioii, tho result of capital, industry, and skill expended during a long conrse ofveaTS.. The Natives will profit little by the bare Tight to compete unless they possess- both the money to pay for improvements aad outgoings, and "the ability to maintain the land at its present standard. .1 am afraid that with, very few of them would this be so. The probable result, therefore, in most cases would be to unsettle the lusaeo without benefiting the. Native. ■ "The total area involved is"18,000 acre?. Whatever be done with .respect to it, I am strciigly of opinion that steps should be taken to utilise the enormous area not now occupied at all by European lessees. •Nearly 20,Ct>0 acres have been reserved ,for commonages and kaingas, and are practicilty idle. In addition to this, nearly 20,000 acres.have l«en reserved for occupation by the Natives. For this purpose the practice has been to issue to them occupation licenses for short tc-rms at low rentals. The experiment has not proved a success. : Where the Natives actually occupy, they do lifltln to develop the land, and. in many casej. they do net occupy at all, but lc.t'Europeanshave the use of it upon pavinent, but without tenure. "It would be an".excellent thing if a •scheme were-devised under,which these areas could be taken up by Natives in small associations,-under management or control of some kind,.and with funds, advanced by the Public Trust Office for the working and stocking. In this way tho lands would'be brought into profitable use, and-.the Natives would bo trained in dairying and farming." .", . The Trustee adds that a large number of ; the existing leases will fall in during the next two years. -The , new rents Mill show large increases, and he considers that'the rate of commission charged by tho Public Trust Office should be reduced from V s per cent, to 5 percontv The difference would amount to about ,£7OO a year when all the existing leases nre renewed. If this amount .were set aside, 'as a primary fund it would provide interest and sinking fundfor'at least £10,000. This sum the office could. advamce, and it would suffice-effectively to start and test the scheme. . • ■ Each association, it is suggested, would be charged interest on the advance' it received as'well as rent for. the'land.it occupied. The rent, if not paid by the> association, would, be paid by the Public Trustee as mortgagee,, so the Natives entitled would not suffer. The interest, 'if paid, would go to replenish the primary fund. In this way, if .the ■ scheme succeeded, the fund would become self-sup-porting, and the Natives would get back what had beon deducted from their rent in order to form it. Legislation would h? necessary. <