UREWERA COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2440, 20 April 1915, Page 4

UREWERA COUNTRY

f— — SUBDIVISION & SETTLEMENT A POLICY IN PROSPECT STATEMENT BY NATIVE MINISTER The history of legislation and litigation regarding tlie huge block of 656,000 acres of Native land known as the tten era Country was set out in an interview given by tlio Minister of Native Affaire to a reporter yesterday. The Minister also stated in effect that the last obstacles in the way of settlement of these lands have now been removed, and that "the problem of the TJrewora. Country" will soon be solved.

An Historical Review. "The TJrewera Native Reserve Act was passed on October 12. 1896, in consequence of a visit paid uy the late Right Hon. 15. J. Seddon to the Urewera Country,'' said Mr. Herries. "Under this Act tha TJrewera Country, containing 650,000 acres approximately, was constituted a Native reserve and .consequently was inalionable except to the Crown. The titles were to he ascertained by a commission, which was duly set up and commenced its sittings in 1899. In August, 1902, its report ■was presented, and the orders for the different blocks were published in the "Kahiti" of June 5, 1903. Appeals to the number of 178 were lodged against these decisions. A second commission of experts was appointed by tlie then Native Minister, Sir James Carroll, in. November, 1906, to inquire into these appeals. This commission 1 reported in May, 1907, and the orders, which were the results of the two commissions, were confirmed by the Native Minister in August, 1907. In consequence of an agitation for fresh appeal, in 1910 Sec. tion 50 of the Native Land Act, 1909, . enabling an appeal to be made to the Judge, was made to apply to the Urcwera Reserve. The consequence was that further appeals were lodged under this section, and also under Section 39 of the Native Laud Court Act. 1894. These appeals were heard in 1912 and decisions given by the Chief Judge in that year. From these judgments further appeals were inadc and were heard , liv the Chief Judge and Judge Hawson, ' who finally delivered judgment in August, IDI3. The final orders wore completed early last war, and arc only ; awaiting survey to be registered. (