NATIVE LAND PURCHASE

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 253, 23 April 1910, Page 2

NATIVE LAND PURCHASE

At a banquet tendered the Hon. R. McKenzie duing his visit to the East Coast, the Minister in speaking of the Native land question, referred to the Native Land Act passed last session, which he claimed would settlethe matter. Under that Act the Government could buy .£.')()(),000 worth of Native land every year. If the Natives objected to .sell, the Government could take the same steps to secure it as were provided in connection with European lands under the . Lands for Settlement Act,. They could purchase most of the Native land at 10s per acre, and would therefore be able to acquire about one million acres every year. The necessary machinery was being organised for bringing the Act into operation. In five yean* time the Government ought to be able to buy all the Native land that is accessible. When tmch hind was bough I, it would be rated the samo as other lands, thus affording considerable help to the local body, which suffered more from lack of rates than anything else. He had no doubt there would he a rush of settlement-that the laud would be settled as soon as it is surveyed and opened up. Thorn was a strong probability that Native lands would have to be rated the same as European lands. The Government was of opinion that the Natives had received siiflicienl, benefit, and should be able, to pay rates on land bordering on roads and railways.