The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1883. NATIVE LAND COURT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 2, 30 November 1883, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1883. NATIVE LAND COURT.

• t - The last session of the Naiive Land Court held m Palmerston was remarkable for the unprecedented celerity with which it despatched the business before it. ti sat altogether about three houjr^, and4n that time, dealt with a block of 7,100 acres, which it sub- divided among 12 claimants, the sections apportioned varying m area from 5 acres to 1420. The total number of people who were interested m the block was 52, and to 'each was allocated his rightful share. 'The .reason the; Court was ienabled to put through this woi-k with such satisfactory despatch, was that it simply had to confirm arrangements made at a properly arranged meeting o£ Natives held previously. The block dealt withis known as Aoraugi No. 2, which had been kept locked up during the last 10 years, through the procrastination of the Government. The total cost to the Native owners m connection with this final allocation, including court fees and other incidental expenses, would be under .£SO, as against the expenses of J sub-division of the Rangatira Block of 19,000 acres into two, which could not have been much under a total, of £5,000, besides a five years' delay, and; three successive Courts./- We thus leai n that the Natives if left to their own. counsel, without the interference of ■lawyers, and dimply aided by the advice of agents whom they can tVii^t, can 'manage. their; land affairs cheaply, and to the satisfaction of those to purchase. The Najii^res simply require to be told what law is, and they acree to mutual concessions without! objection, thus greatly facilitating the .despatch of business m the Court. ,The block, which is virtually a valuelet's swamp, will have a large amount of money spent upon various portions 'of it m draining and reclamation, andi those portionß so improved will become soil of the richest quality, while the remainder, whichjwill be Native reserves will be enormously increased m value. The .^Government have been trying for yja/s to purchase the block at 4/- per acre, and now what has been sold has ; av>raged; abqufc 35/y per acre- The session of the Court just concluded may be considered m all respects the most satisfactory that .has. taken place m the North Tsland. The Judge arrived on the 27th, opened his Court on the 28th, and by s.3o'ii m.,on iKe 29th was en route for Napier. This affords a pleasant contrast to former sittings at Fox ton, Otaki, Mavton, and elsewhere, where protracted delays and demoralizing orgies have been the distinctive features.