NATIVE LAND COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2028, 13 March 1907, Page 2

NATIVE LAND COMMISSION

Sir Robert Stout and Mr. A. T. Ngata, M.H.R, arrived yesterday afternoon from Nuliaka, and remain in Gisborne until this evening, when they proceed south. The Commission sits for a couple of days in Napier, dealing with the Poukawa reserves, and then goes to Wellington. During the short stay at Gisborne the Commission will hold a sitting in the Supreme Court building at 10 this morning, to hear the evidence of parties now in Gisborne who are interested in matters in which evidence has already been taken. The sitting is likely to be of short duration. The members of the Commission return to Gisborne about May. At Nuliaka the Commission dealt with blocks 2c and various subdivisions of this block, and 2b, 2e, 2f, and 2d. Plans were made by the Maoris who had been since trying to get titles to their land. The Court had met and proceeded with the inquiry which had been withdrawn. Further, the Court had subdivided the orders and this could not take effect until a survey was made. ' The last subdivisions were made in 1898, and no surveys had yet been made. The whole of the titles were hung up, so that they could not improve or. utilise their lands. They had after great difficulties improved or utilised their lands and they did not know whether the subdivision would not alter their arrangements. In some blocks, in one instance, of 1100 acres, there were no less than 412 owners. This had boon divided into 19 lots, and in some lots there were hundreds of owners. Individualisation of titles under such circumstances, the Chairman of the Commission said, was impossible. The Commissioners told them to apportion most of the subdivisions. In one block the plan of the subdivisions was not before them, and they could not determine how the subdivisions wore to be disposed of. About 2000 acres were cut out for leasing aud opep to auction. Most of the owners were engaged in dairy farming, and were the main suppliers of the local milk factory, and they have been very successful in dairying, some of them bringing bush land into cultivation. The Chairman remarked that the natives looked bright, and ho was pleased to see their great activity in dairying and the great improvements they had made, notwithstanding the almost insuperable difficulties they had to encounter. The Commissioners finished at Nuliaka at 5 p.m, but they, will return when surveyors can be; obtained, as it will bo impossible to allocate some subdivisions unless they are present- The Commissioner! lef for Morere at 6 p.m. and came on to Gisborne yesterday.