NATIVE LANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 123, 18 February 1920, Page 8

NATIVE LANDS

--<? THE GOVERNMENT'S PURCHASES WHY SETTLEMENT IS DELAYED During tho period from March 31, 1912, to December 31, I'JIO, the New Zealand Government bought outright 515,490 acrss of Native land, and partially purchased 47G.C04 acres. The area purchased outright in Auckland province was 193,1311 acres, and the area partiafly purchased in that province was 8G3,(i71 acres, including 318,910 acres of the Urewern lands. The position as far as the partially purchased" lands is conecrned is not always understood by the public. The Government has bought the interests of certain Natives in blocks of land, but 0 « her Natives retain their intevHsts ir. .i-hole or in part. Titles to thiso blocks have not been individualised, and t'-.t Government, therefore, is not able to deal with the land at all easily. Th» law provides that neither the Crown nor private individuals may purchase un.v interest front a Native if tho will leave the Maori landless. The Gov. eminent may own half a block of Native land, but be unable to fix boundaries. If it does fix boundariea ar.d proceeds to provide roads and settle the land, the cost of purchasing the remaining Native interests will largely increase owing to the added valuo. _ The Minister of Lands (the Hon. D. H Guthrie) is at present paying a visit to' the ITrewera Country, where ho :s study'ng some of the difficulties that have delayed tip settlement of much <;f the land" purchased from tho Maoris in recent years.