Finality at Last.

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

Finality at Last.

"It appears, therefore, that the delay ia opening up the land lias been caused by the enormous amount of litigation that lias taken place. It is hcped that linaiity has at last been readied, and for my part I have strenuously v resisted efforts that liavo been made to pass legislation reopeniiig the subjcct. The next question is that of survey. A sum of £4243 has been spent in survey, but we are informed by the ' Survey Department that the survey ia not complete enough for tlia purposes of tlio District Land Regis* trar, 'so that surveys of the blocks must lift undertaken and I liavo aslced the Minister in charge to have the necessary surveys, especially of the blocks in which interests have been purchased by the Crown, put in hand at once. I The Grown started purchasing interests in certain blocks in the north-eastern portion of the reserve in 1909* This, it will be seen, was before tlia titles, were definitely ascertained. This, in my opinion, was an iinwiso step, and has been the cause of considerable trouble, and may be of more. . These 'purchases were conducted by an officer of the Lands Department, • not the. Nfitive Land Ptuchaso Department, 60 that the Native Office had no control of the purchases. - Instructions have been-issued, now that-the titles are ■ settled, to tho Native Land Purchase Officer to at once complete' tho former purchases and to endeavour to purchase the remaining interests in ,tho different blocks affected. When this is done and the survey completed, these blocks can be thrown open to the miblic in the or- • dinary way by the Lands Department. A Vigorous Policy. "With regard to the general future of the Urewera Reserve, a vigorous policy will be pursued of Crown purchase where the Native owners are will- , ing to sell. This could not be done till the question of the titles had been settled. It wouid not, in niy opinion, bo opportune at present to in'troduoe legislation allowing dealings between the Natives and private individuals, not at all events till the purchases by the Crown are settled. Every encourage- • ment will he siven to the Native owners to partition their land so that those who wish to farm" their lands r.iav got their portions allocated to them, and it is honed that in a short time' the problem of the TJrewera Country will be finally 6olvcd and tho best . of the land settled by the Native owners and settlers holding under the land laws of the Dominion. It is a pleasing feature that the Natives themselves are anxious to have their isolation terminated, o. consummation that micht have been effected years apo had finality been insisted on in'respect to litigation."