POLITICAL NOTES. NATIVE LEASES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1876, 4 October 1906, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

NATIVE LEASES.

t ■'jninipw} '(Special to Times.) Wellington, last night. Mr Hone Heke asked whether the Government will iDtcoduoe legislation for the purpose of rendering illegal all leases of lands owned by Maoris made to private individuals if snob leases are nos ngistered witbin a year after being signed by the parlies oonoerned ? Me Carroll replied as follows : “ The risk whioh a lessee tuns in not presenting his lease for registration is under ordinary oironmstances a Buffi* oient oheok. Something is, however, neoessary to be done to protect tbe revenne of the Crown in respeot to land tax, inland tax, and stamp duty, and possibly legislation will have to be passed deolaring unregistered leases invalid.

LANDLESS NATIVES,

As to ascertaining the number of landless natives in tbe North Island, the Government will consider the matter with a view to arriving at the beßt means by whioh this oan be done in order to assist in arriving at a correct estimate, and the assistance of the Maori Council may be invoked.

PROHIBITION OF AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

Ia answer to a question in the House

io day tbo Minister for Customs made the

following statement : Belying on the existing prohibition of Australian grapes, a oonßi lerable number of growers in ibis colony, especially in the North, have gone to groat expense in the orre ion and equipment of glass houses, and as the sudden removal of all restrictions on the importation of this fruit from Australia would prove absolutely ruinous to many of these settlers, it would probably be found advisable if the prohibition were revoked to impose a fairly heavy import duty and reduce it year by year. The I matter will receive consideration when the Customs tariff is under review. DAIBY INDUSTRY.

Directions have been given by the Government to make further inquiries into the alleged abuse of child labor in tbe dairy industry.