THREE MILLION ACRES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 406, 21 October 1911, Page 5

THREE MILLION ACRES.

UNOCCUPIED MAORI LANDS

During the course of a discussion upon a native petition from the Taranaki district on Wednesday evening, sevral Opposition members harked back on the well-worn party cry about the millions of acres of Maori lands that were lying idle and pestridden, a menace to the rest of the Dominion.

Rising a few minutes before the 5.30 adjournment, the Hon. A. T. Ngata said ha had been informed that several members opposite had been talking about "the seven million acres of native land in the North Island that remained "unoccupied."

The Speaker: Five million acres unoccupied.

Mr Ngata: Well, we will take it at five million acres. Continuing, he said he held in his hands a return that was in course of preparation, and which would be presented to Parliament at a later stage. On March 31st of the present year, the total area of native land in the North Island, held under all tenures, was 7,137.205 acres. This left a balance of 3,080,563 acres of unoccupied native land. Out of that, proceeded che Hon. Mr Ngata, it was only fair to deduct the area occupied by mountain tops, rivers, and lakes. That area w t as at present being compiled by the department, and as soon as the figures were completed, the return would be laid before the House. Personally, his estimate of the area of native land unoccupied, but fit for settlement, did not exceed 2.700,000 acres. Hon. Members: Does that include the pumice land of Taupo? The Hon. Mr Ngata: Yes; it includes all, from the first-class land to the waste pumice country of Taupo and the clay land of the North.