NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 94, 7 August 1908, Page 5

NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

_ - Remarks by Mr Greensladei

Mr Greenslade made the following remarks on the Native Land Ques-; tion in the course of his speech on the Bubget' I now; desire to refer to a matter that concerns my electorate very closely iiideed--the Native Land Question > and, in this respect, I must adniit that I'am sQmewhat of an optimist. I< believe that the present Administration are desirous of doing all they possibly can to_ speedily unlock the large areas of Native land, and have that land thrown open-for settlementpurposes, while at the same time duly safeguarding the interests of the Natives. .I. • \ :

.'The .work of the Maori Lahd Boards has increased to a large extent during the year; and, as the trend of the recommendations of the Native Land Commission will in many cases be in the direction of vesting in the Boards,-the administration of lands set apart for settlement, it is expected that the current year will see n large increase in. the volume of'business transacted.

Now, I have referred to the importance lof 'this question to the North Island and more particularly to the Auckland Provincial District, and taking my own district as a guide—because I presume that what has been accomplished in what I may term my own electorate and its vicinity hasprobably been accomplished in other districts—that since the passing of the Maori Land Settlement Act in 1905, the Government has purchased about 300,000 : acres,of Native lands which now become Crown lands, and will be offered irj due course to the public in the interests of settlement. There can be no question ■ that considerable progress has; been made by the Maori Land Boards, and I can refer particularly to the Maniapoto* Tuwharetoa Board. Froin a compilation! have made it appears that there has been vested in the Board for letting to the public an area representing 46,697 acres, while the lands that have been.leased under approval of the Board approximately amount to 224,000 acres. When we come'to analyse the position it transpires that out of a total of 410 leases, the average holding is only about 546 acres, and I think every one must admit that very excellent work is being done by the Maori Land Boards so far, at any rate, as my electorate and its vicinity is concerned, because I am one of those who brieve in reasonable areas being held, and I am not one who thinks that huge areas should be mopped up by private individuals and locked up and remain undeveloped. I should like to point out to honourable members —and the Hon. the Prime Minister will know the position, because he was there quite recently—that with regard to the township of Te Kuiti, it is only five or six years ago when it was a very unimportant centre indeed, but to-day, as the result of good work done by the Maori Land Boards in that vicinity in the way of leasing and opening up of those Native lands, it is* the most prosperous township in the whole of that vaste King Country, and as these Native lands are more developed and unlocked, and settled, Te Kuiti will still further increase in importance and prosperity-. Mr Colvin : Where is it ? Mr Greenslade ; We will show you where it is if you come up to Auckland on the occasion of the visit of the American fleet. Sir, we hear of the great advance in settlement that has taken place in the North, but I contend that the advance in settlement in the North to-day is nothing compared with what it will be when those huge areas are opened up — those five or six million acres of Native lands.