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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 294, 25 November 1884, Page 2

The Gazette notifying the claims for adjudication at the sitting of the Native Land Court at Waiomatatini on the 15 th

of January next, is to hand. There is a large amount of business set down. The total number of claims gazetted is 1,278, comprising 358 original claims for lands, the titles to which have not yet been ascertained; 748 claims for successors to be appointed to deceased owners; 172 subdivision claims, and two applications for the appointment of trustees. A movement is •on foot among the Natives to have the sitting of the Court adjourned until March next, partly with 'a view to allowing a large assemblage of Natives to take place in January, in order to meet the Native Minister, who is expected by the Maoris to visit Gisborne about that time. Much indignation is expressed by the Tologa Bay people at the neglect shown to that district in having no sitting of the Court there, Time after time important cases have been adjourned, and sittings of the Court put off, While the cry of retrenchment is, as usual, raised up in many quarters, it is somewhat surprising that judges of the Native Land Court are allowed to remain, comparatively speaking, unemployed, at the same time drawing large salaries from a heavily-taxed community. A district has really to beg and pray for a Judge of the Court to be sent to adjudicate upon its land titles, and then only, as a special favor, are sittings of the Court granted. Does the Government know that the longer the delay in settling the questions surrounding the land titles is permitted, the longer is the prosperity of the North Island retarded ? By all legitimate means these matters should be dealt with as speedily as possible. It is about seven years since a sitting of the Court was held at Waiomatatini, Waiapu. Since that time a vast amount of work has accumulated. The Government, or the Chief Judge, or whoever else the power rests with, should lose no time in having sittings of the Court gazetted at once for the various parts of. the North Island in need of them. If necessary even appoint more judges — but whatever eventuates there is no reason why judges of the Native Lands Court should go swaggering about the country, with oriental indolence, while thousands of important land claims involving immense monetary considerations, are allowed to remain in chancery.