WANGANUI NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1575, 7 March 1879, Page 3

WANGANUI NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

[Press Special Wire.]

[special reporter of press agency.] Wanganui, March 5. According to a return lately published of lands proclaimed by the Government under the Native I and Purchase Act, 1877, in the Provincial district of Wellington, 1,028,682 acres have been acquired by the present Government from Natives, and the sum of £19,581 been advanced by the Government by way of lien on certain blocks mentioned in the schedule. From January 24th to July 12th, 1878, 722,852 acres had been proclaimed in Wanganui County, for which £. 2,000 has been advanced. Since July last, a further area of 450,000 acres has come under proclamation, on which a farther sum of £15,000 has been advanced. The total acreage under proclamation up to date in Wanganui district, is 1,172,850 acres; advances made £27,000. The blocks ou which late advances have been made are twenty-five in number, and range from 2000 and 3000 to 100,000 a res. One-third of these blocks may be considered open land, and fitted for immediate settlement. The area over which the proclamation extends is situated on both sides of the Wanganui river, and going inland to Ruapehu mountains, and northwards as far as the head of the Mokau.

The celebrated Muri-Motu block, over which certain persons have a moral, if not legal lien, is included in the earlier roll of proclamation ; but has by the recent action of the Native Laud Court been virtually declared again to be waste lands, and it is believed that all proceedings connected therewith will have to be commenced de novo. Conflicting opinions are held as to the value of this block, some 300,090 acres in extent, for agricultural purposes ; but it is thought by most people that for wheat growing it is all that can he desired. It closely nsombles the downs about Mount Grey in Canterbury, On the northern side of the Wanganui river the Government have acquired a lien oyer and proclaimed a district rich in coal and minerals. It is but justice to add that all this work has neen done by Mr James Booth, and now to all intents and purposes all this laud is the property of the Crown. By the system of proclamation in vogue, the Government's old right of pre-emption appears to have been revived; in other words the Government have retained to themselves, or usurped the f motions of the middle man in nearly all Native land tram a tions, on the ground that it is expedient tuat the profit accruing from the sale of waste lands acquired from the Natives should form part of the Colonial revenue, and not fall into the hands of he ordinary land agent. There has been a great deal of competition in Wanganui district against the Government, and it has had the effect of materially enhancing the value of land be d by Natives. Land agents con plain of the Government competing against them, maintaining that there should be free trade i•» land. _ Acting for the middle man proper, they avail themselves of all possible means of obtaining a share in the middle man’s profits. Consequent upon this keen competition, the Government have now to give 8s and 10s an acre net for land, which they would have acquired at one-third of the price before this competition commenced. At the late sitting of the Native Laud Court here, one of these land agents passed through the Court three blocks ot land, namely, Kanarapaoa, 3040 acres bush; Opinoti, 2021 acres bush; and another block near Purikina of open laud, about 22.000 acres. For the two first, he gave 8s an acre net, and for the third, 20s. At the sittings of the Court little has been done, owing to the defective state of the survey department; but still there ought not to be much difficulty in placing any quantity of land in the market at once if the surveys ware conducted with ordinary energy. Many blocks have been waiting for survey for long periods, and still seem as far from commencement as ever. This has been so marked that important departmental changes have been hinted at. With regard to the acquisition of land by the Government, the mode of procedure is this — The Natives write to Mr Booth, the Land Purchase Commissioner, and when the proposed sellers are assembled, ho reads the written offer he has received to all present, when the whole question of boundaries and price is discussed. If an agreement is arrived at, the advance is made and proclamation issued. With the private land agents the system adopted is much the same «s of old. One of these gentlemen conducts his operations upon a lavish scale, having more agents and interpreters than the Government employ. It is evident that he keeps some young chiefs in his pay to facilitate his land transactions. There is a block of land on the Waitatara River, called Raugitatu, containing some 41,000 acres, upon which large sums have been advanced on behalf of speculators. The Government also wanted this block, but could make no headway towards its acquisition until some repudiated owners came and offered it to the commissioner, who maac an advance, issued a proclamation, and had it brought before the Land Court. Then it was asserted that 23,000 acres had been promised by the Natives to the private laud agent. In the meantime the chief owner refuses to sell to him (the private a«mnt) at all. borne of the men to whom the Government made advances failed to make good their claims. Others did not attend the Court although they belonged to the hapu. The Judge remarked in Court that it was evident the Native owners had been tampered with. Although the land has been proclaimed by the Government and money advanced on it, the private agents maintain that they have a legal right to it,_ and are using every endeavor to make good their claim. The Government, however, are determined to have the land, as it is required and well suited for settlement. Briefly, the position of Native land purchases ou the West Coast appears to be this—The speculators have raised the price of land, but the Government have acquired and are acquiring largo areas. There is willingness rather than reluctance on the part of Native owners to sell.