The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1894. NATIVE LANDS.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 16 November 1894, Page 2

The Opunake Times. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1894. NATIVE LANDS.

At the last Town Board meeting, Mr D. McGregor moved that the Public Trustee be urged to place all the unoccupied native open lands between the Waiau and Taungatara Rivers in the market at as early a date as possible. In doing so, be drew attention to the great injustice which was being inflicted upon the town and district through keeping these locked up when people were on the look-out for such lands, and their being kept waste lands instead of being settled, as they unquestionably would be, by industrious settlers. What this laud is worth may be judged from the fact that the section of open land which lias just been let brought Is 3d per acre. The Government make a great to do about people in other parts of the •olouy being debarred from taking up land, and, in order to do away with the reproach, buy up estates at big values to re-let. In most of these cases the land is in profitable occupation already, and the only reason for acquiring it is to forward settlement. In this district there are thousands of acres which are not being used by the natives, and which, if assessed at a fair rental, would be snapped up by settlers eager to get on the land. So long as they are kept idle, the native owners derive no benefit from them, and they prove to be a great drawback to the district generally. It was fully expected that contracts would have been let befor now to fell and form'the roads, through what blocks are already sectionised, during the present season, but unless steps are taken at once another year will be lost. We hope the attention of the Public Trustee being drawn to this matter, which is so intimately connected with the welfare and progress of the town and district, will result in some action being taken at once.