NATIVE LAND SURVEYS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 532, 11 January 1913, Page 6

NATIVE LAND SURVEYS.

It haß at sundry times been conr tended that the opening up of native land has been hampered of late yaers through the lack of surveyors. A new light was thrown on the subject at a recent deputation of surveyors to the Minister of Native Affairs ( Hon. W. H. Herries). A member of the deputation scouted the idea that surveyors were scarce. "It haa hot been owine to the scarcity of surveyors, but to the failure on the part of the natives to pay back jcharges," he declared; and Went on to say ; that if something could be done by the Go vernment to obtain a settlement of back charges owing to surveyors, and to ensure future . payment, there would be no lack of men for the survey woik on native land. The old system by which the ourveyor could take steps to recover his fees out of the land itself was unsatisfactory, and in many cases unworkable. The Hon. Mr Herrieß sympathised with the members of the deputation on the question of back charges, but on the question of present rates he pointed out that already the Government had intro duced an increased scale of pay for its survey staff. He promised to see what could be done, however, in the matter of the back charges.