NATIVE LAND COMMISSION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2053, 3 December 1907, Page 1

NATIVE LAND COMMISSION

GISBORNE SPITIN' G

The Native Land Commission, Sir Robert Stout, C.J., and Mr A. 'I • Ngsita, Al.-H.E., continued its sitting yesterday at the Courthouse. A; COMPLICATED POSITION. ■Mr Siov-w right -mentioned tlio Al-aiigah-auiiii block. Ho said ho appeared on behalf of eight of the holders. 'For some years tho block had been farmed by a number of tho owners. The title was investigated and a subdivision made in IS9B. It was hoped that the Commission would be able to find a solution for tho somewhat- tangled position of tho affairs of the speaker’s clients, who held their land in such scattered pieces that-they could make very little use of it. Sheep fanning had boon carried on for about 20 years, considerable profits being amide. 'The shoe,]) on the farm numbered about, 120,000. Romeo was the nominal sole owner of the stock. Me had given a mortgage over ten thousand of them. Tlie present difficulty was the result of th 0 fanning having been cal'died on on Maori communal lines, and the solution might bo found in a compromise. One of tlie promoters of .the Native company working the land had written stating that tho old company was being wound up, and that in a new company to bo formed payment would be made to individuals on acreage. Each of his (tho speaker’s) clients should have about 320 acres, and lie thought it mas valued at £5 10s per acre. The best scheme seemed to be to get- his clients’ interests incorporated. Hr clients hold two shares..

Mr Ngata said that the only persons wlio seemed to be badly treated were those who though they did not contribute 10 the ’sheep fund wore owners of the land. With the last payment the shareholders would have received ,248 for every £1 share taken up i. 1893. From bis experience ho thought the company one of the •most successful of its kind in tlie Dominion. They wero unwise in not keeping a larger reserve fund. Much money bad been spent on imprjv.*meivts, and the most improved section was that in which Mr Sievwriglit’s clients were interested. Tlie Chief Justice said there was frequently great trouble with Natives who held small scatter’d pieces of land. He hardly thought that tho present Commission would have time to do such work, and lie thought that a special Commission should be appointed to go through tho country to get the Natives to make exchanges of land to enable them to have all their lands in one piece. Tlie future of the race depended on the Natives having their lands in blocks which would be suitable for farming. Colonel Porter, President of the Tai-Kawhiti Maori Land Board,suited tliait lie was one of the original holders of shares in the s’ cop company on the land. Except- lor the past two years had received no payments from the company. The committee working the land comprised representatives of the chief owners. The late Mrs Pouter was tho largest 'owner.

The Chief Justice said that it would be very expensive to cut out the interest of Mr. Siev.wright’s clients, and as the land had been improved more in some places than in others, it would be very difficult to apportion -hares. Colonel Porter said tlie only attempt previously to incorporate was an endeavor to incorporate a few small parts of tho estate.

The Chief Justice intimated that Air Ngata would meet the people of the block, and would announce a little before Christmas what tlie Natives would agree to do. WHANGARA AND MANCATU.

Mr H. C. Jackson gave evidence regarding timber rents on lands held in trust by him. In the Whangara block one section paid taxes totalling a fifth of the annual rent and another paid three-fourths of the rent in taxes. 'He would prepare for the Commission a statement of taxes paid during his trust. H c was • specially appointed to audit the accounts of the estates under his charge. The accounts were not published in the Gazezttc, but the Natives were given notice when the accounts would come before' the Validation Court. A sum of £2OO shown as “rent undistributed” was; on tin accounts, as owners had died and successors had not yet been reported. The average cost - of administration of his estates was under 5 per cent. Was secretary to a • number of incorporated blocks, but had received practically no money from them towards office expenses, though lie had been secretary since about 1894. -Liabilities (totalling £zou shown in one block were incurred before the trustees were appointed. In Tapuhikitea which had been leased •for timber cutting the Natives have received £6BO in royalties for an area of hardly 30 acres. Mr. W. L. Rees explained to the Court the position' of liabilities -on Mangatu 3 and 4. The liens' fo> survey were very heavy,. and money had been advanced to pay these and for tho owners’ personal wants. Later on tho owners incorporated, and a loan was made of £1,600. Permission, to borrow more was obtained, but no loan could bo made as No. 4 produced nothing. ; A loan was later taken from the owners o; ALangatu 1. There was between £12,000 and £20,000, worth of t ini her on tho property. . '" ‘ .(V A representative of the'. o.wn'Ofs said that the .trustees-should be tils-' pensed with. While the 'land'', remained in their hands' tlic. lildrt- - gage kept going up. There hail re-.' cently been a number of. large; and representative meetings of owners', who were' unanimous in dtmurpding, that the. trustees cease to idxist.--Mr Rees said that lie', badt'becii* informed that the .best ..timber of the Motu district- was' on. BloeUtf 1 and- -1 Mangatu. '. '..'-• .... • • ... :> ■ A Native represen'tativfiu of' % stlie owners said that. for. as'-long as the trust had been - in 'existence t'liey.-Kad not had a ’clear * stafetjieiit. off accounts from 'Mr--Jacksbh. -. They had applied to-the-00-irr.t 1 but had not yet received the accounts. The owners desired that after the present leases expired the land should .bo.returned . to them. They were competent to farm it. They wished, to •farm tilie land in order to make monev to pay. off the- liabilities. The •matter was brought before, the Commission because certan of..- the owners had promised to lease to Europeans, while the majority wished, to farm the land -themselves. The same owners were interested in li"0 acres of land in tho Pouwa block. It had been improved, and was at present being farmed. ■ PUN INCA. Mr Chrisp mentioned the Puninga

block which, lie said, was absolutely inaccessible, and he asked that the Commission might ina'ko a recommendation that road access he given through Komi a. It would give a better road than the proposed access from Wharerata, which was greatly objected to. " A representative of the Ivopua owners said a meeting had been held anil a decision come to, againstwhich only olio owner stood out. The land had never been partitioned by the Native Land Court, and they desired to work tho land as one farm till .such time as the land was pantitioned. The Chief Justice said it would bo unwise to do so if tho arrangement had to bo broken in a year or so. Mr W. L. Rees said the owners of tjie land had not been ascertained. Between thirty and fifty claimed to bo owners. Tip, beneficially owners should be ascertained by the Validation Count under the Act of 1893. 'l’llis was the most important step. Mr Clirisp said lie thought legislation would bo necessary.. The matter was held over, the Chief Justice promising to look into -the Validation Act.

A representative of tho owners of Puninga No. 11 addressed tlie Court. Ho stated that 250 acres of tho block had been leased, the re J mainder being 500 acres. There was eleven owners, only two of whom were males. A female owner stated that she had leased her share and another party’s share to a European. She had endeavored to have her share cut out, but the others objected am! she had leased the land for the purpose of having the European lessee ■getting the land cut out. The Chief Justice said the position seemed to be that an application had been made to tho Board for a lease by two owners and an application mad 0 to tho Court for an order incorporating tlie whole of the owners.

Mr Oliris/p stated that Mr Bees and AVi I’cre agreed to these lands heing handed over to the control of tho East Coast Native Land Trust, this handing over being stopped by the then Commissioner’s death. If the land wero so handed over tlie Native Land Court could proceed to ascertain the beneficiaries.

A Native representative of the owners said they wero divided as to whether the control should go to the East Coast- Native Land Trust. /Mr Rees said the Native Land Court had so far refused to find the beneficiaries as'their interests were not by Native custom, but by arraiif"'*ncnt among the parties.

was reserved for consideration. ■

. THE MAORI LAND' BOARD. Col. Porter said the total number of blocks vested In the Tai-Raw-liiti AlaorA Land Board was 47 with a total area of 52,255 acres. Of this amount 13 blocks with an area of 3239 areas were leased. Of the remainder 20 blocks were ready.for leasing, lie put in 2 schedules showing the approval of 238 leases over about 7000 acres. The Board was in a responsible position under tlie latest Maori Land Claims Adjustment Act. They had to rtake special pains as to distributing revenue from incorporated blocks, as the Act contained no direction. The majority of the land leased under the Board had been disposed of by tender. Of tender and auction he preferred tender. Some system of bookkeeping in regard to blocks under the Board w.qs absolutely necessary. During tlie time the Board had been in existence there had been no complaints regarding its actions.