NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2210, 24 July 1914, Page 5

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS.

SETTLEMENT FIGURES.

The annual report of the Under-Sec-retary for Native Affairs (Mr. T. W. Fisher) states .that the Native ' Land Court has been well employed during the past year, except during the period of the smallpox epidemic. During the year 121 sittings wore gazetted and 24;189 eases were scheduled for hearing. The Court dealt with 82 original investigations affecting an area of 29,271 acres hitherto unclothed with titles, and made 1019 partition orders affecting 368,175 acres. Numerous other orders were made all affecting titles to land. Eighteen sittings of the Native Appellate Court were held and the number of cases scheduled totalled 264. In addition to tho foregoing the following alienations were approved and confirmed by the Court in the South Island: 27 leases, totalling 3058 kcres,. and 21 transfers totalling 2835 acres. The year's revenue from Court fees, etc. (received and outstanding) amounted to £5584, a slight decrease on the previous period. The report states that activity in settling old Native titles for purposes of alienation is going ahead, the sum of £747 Is. lOd. being collected for fees due on old orders.'

The boards have also been fully occupied with ordinary work.' The area of land administered by the boards totals 977,643 acres, and the following alienations.haye taken place: 142ti leases, have, been issued of a total area of 381,293 acres, and 122 transfers, comprising 94j871 acres, ot which 37 leases aggregating 13,815 aores, and 40 transfers, totalling 30,912 acres, were approved and confirmed during the year. This leaves 501,479 acres still in the hands of the boards for settlement, but the boards are unable to place the lands on the markets until surveys have been made. Apparently, the' report states, there is a dearth of surveyors. In addition to vested 'and administered lands the boards have, during the pariod, approved of 457 leases, totalling 119,709 acres, arid confirmed 1325 transfers, totalling 181,773 acres of Native freehold lands. These figure's do not compare favourably with the figures of former periods. This is accounted for to some extent by the epidemio opposing hindrances to negotiations between Natives and Europeans. The total turnover of the boards amounts to £613,061 95., while the actual cash received by the board totalled £296,643 Bs. lid., an increase of £83,401 over the last period. . . Actual purchases by the Native Land Purchase, Board, which held sixteen meetings during the year, totalled 83,619 acres (including 490j acres of the Orakei Block), and negotiations are ill progress for further areas.

The Under-Secretary . emphasises the necessity of expediting surveys. The usefulness of the Maori Councils was apparent, it is stated, during-the smallpox epidemic, and they were of great assistanco to the Health Department.

During the _ year thirty-two persons sat for examination as Native interpreters. Of these 17 had passed firstgrade, and 4 passed second-grade examinations. Since the coming into operation of the Maori Lands Administration Act, 1900. and its amendments, the Maori Land Boards have approved and confirmed the following transactions. 7190 leases, aggregating 2,706j398 acres. ' 5310 transfers, aggregating 1,010,091 acres. Of these areas' the operations since the passing of tlio Native Land Act, 1909, are as follow:— i. ' 5997 leases, totalling 1. •531,221 acres 5201 transfers, totalling 1,000,176 acres.

The Department's expenditure for the past year was £23,985 14s. Id., while the totfil amount, of revenue received nor medium of Native I and Court, Maori Land Board, and Native Interpreters' Board, amounts to £13,051 2s. 6d., made up by way of fees, stamps, commission, interest, etc.