NATIVE LANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 154, 25 March 1920, Page 6

NATIVE LANDS

DIFFICULTIES OF SETTLEMENT

THE ROADING QUESTION

Much of the most valuable land in the 'possession of tho 'Government as Crown lands which should be-available for ecU Element'is land purchased fi'om Jwon owbers. These purchases are not in general transactions by which the Government acquires definite 'acreages of land, or even areas within certain geographical' or other boundaries. Sometimes this is done, but not always. Sometimes tho purchase is merely of certain groups of interests in a huge block. In theso cases it will not bo possiblo to go on with settlement of the land until nil the interests in the black have been acquired and surveys completed. The Mmister of lands (Mr. Guthrie) lias already said' that ho has a proposal to nrrahgo with the Natives to exchange interests, in order that the Government ■jnav obtain for its purchase money a block of land which it will be possible to road and settle. This arrangement, which applies especially to Urewara purchases, may not bo one that can be speedily made. . - In other cases, the Mock'acquired by the Government is in close proximity- to other Native land not yet purchased, wbich the Government hopes some day to be able to purchase, and. the.effect of 'mailing' and- settling theso_ blocks would be to make the'other Native land; impossible of purchase except nt a very much enhanced value, deferring to this aspect of the problem ye«t?Yilay, tho Minister of Lands (Mr. Outline) slid: '.The I time has- eoma when wo shall nave to adopt some means by which we may be able to wad undeveloped lands, 'whether held by 'Maoris or Europeans, and -'n consideration of ' 116 benefit aceyu--1 in? to those lands, to load tbcm with o fair share of the exnensc. Mr. Guthrie would not discuss his scheme further. The advisers of the Natives ''a™, always , advised them not to sell their land, and they have never failed to comnlain .asainst the dispossession of .the Mnori of- his land. They- sny, m effect, that although tho conditions under wlrch much' of the land is held make it lmrossibl" for. the Mnori to make i-se of. it. the endeavour of the Government shouM be to assist the Natives to develop their lands, and to use them rather than to turn, the Natives off. aiid to nut white men in f>os?w.ion. The simirestion made is that the Natives should be given the same aids as wh'to men in the way rf leans to develop their land. Tt is snui that if this were done the Natives wonld be only too glad to have-their titles individualised, to have all their lands snrveved. and to put themselves into such 4> position that'it would'be. safe for the State -.to' ndvanc'" money on !he security of their land. These are allrootters for new legation, pven if tho "' eilß are adopted bv the Government.