VESTED MAORI LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 494, 24 August 1912, Page 5

VESTED MAORI LANDS.

THE OHUTU LEASES. DEPUTATON TO GOVERNMENT. Representatives of the lessees of the Ohutu blocK ol native land in the Wanganui district, waited on the Prime Minister as Minister cf Lands on Wednesday morning. They pointed out that the tenure of twenty-one years' renewable lease was. unsatisfactory, that there was a question whether thn improvements were a charge upon the land, and that they were subject to disabilities in regard to borrowing money for improvements and roading and they therefore asked that the Government should assist them to get the freehold of their holdings.

The Prime Minister said his sympathies werewith the settlers in the unfortunate p-jsition in which they seemed to be placed. Even if the fault was their own, the fact remained that they were in a serious difficulty in regard to finance. It was quite impossible in his opinion, to finance on these leases. Very few people would lend money on the security of the lease except at a very high rate of interest;. As to roading, according to the present law, the position was that the expenditure on roads did not count at the end of the lease, when copensation was paid to the man who had been occupying the land. He was contemplating an amendment of the law which would put the matter right, but it could not be made retrospective. The policy of the Government on the lar\d question was the option of the freehold wherever it was possible to give it. Unfortunately it was not always possible, but he thought they would notice from the division that took place in the House that not only the Government was freehold, but the House was freehold. The difficulty in the present case appeared to be that the lessee could not acquire the freehold even though the owners were willing to sell. He proposed to have the point looked into. His sympathies and the sympathies of the Government were with the deputation, and later* on when the question had been reported upon, he hoped that the Government would be able to suggest some way out of the difficulty. If the Government could help them it would he glad to do so, but the interests of the native owners must be safeguarded, and it would be the duty of the Government to see that that was done.