LAND DEVELOPMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 342, 1 October 1932, Page 5

LAND DEVELOPMENT

. ("Post" Speeial Commissioner.)

FURTHER PURCHASES ARE NOT CONSIDERED JUSTIFIED TIGHTENING CONTROL

Wellington, Friday. A number of important reeommend,ations are made in the report of the National Expenditure Commission in regard to native aifairs. Comment is made on the wide powers at present given under the Native Trustee Act. It is pointed out that it is a very wide and arbitrary power, one that should not be vested in any individual, and it is suggested that the law should be amended so that the power shall he exercised only hy the Court. At present the Native Trustee has wide powers for developing and farming estates for native owners, the expenditure being at his own discretion. In one estate alone £85,000 was spent on improvements on the recommendation of one offieer. Such large sums should not be invested without consideration by an investment board. The Commissioner reeommends that there should not be more than four native Court judges, one to be the chief judge, and that the judicial functions of 'Maori Land Boards should he transferred to the Court. Definite recommendations are : — (1) That the Native Land Purch'ase Board be abolished, and that the Dominion Land Purehase Board established under the Land for Settlement Act, 1925, be charged with the duty of eonsidering the purehase and conducting negotiations for the p'Urchase of native land. (2) That the Native Land Settlement Account be abolished, and that the funds required for the acquisition of native land be provided from the Land for Scttlements Account. (3) That the balance remaining in the Native Land Settlement Account be transferred to the Loans Redemption Account, to he used for the redemption of securities. (4) That the revenue derived from native lands heretofore purchased and settled be credited to territorial revenue. (5) That native lands, whether already settled or still on hand, be deemed to be ordinary Crown lands, subject to all the provisions of the Land Act, 1924. (6) That the loan capital of the Native Land Settlemc-nt Account he de -med to he part of the national development expenditure of the Dominion, the interest on which must be met from gencral revenue. (7) That the proeeeds derived from the sale of native land heretofore purchased be credited to the Land for Settlements Account, as in the case of ordinary Crown lands, so that they would thus be available for the acquisition of furiher land, either European or othervri.se. (8) We are oi' opinion that further purchases of native lands, except for the purpoivo oi consolidating areas suitable for immediate settlement, should cease rntil — (a) economic conditions are such that suecessful landsettlement is possible; (b) the law is amended to provide for a rental return at least equal to the interest; (c) the purehase and settlement of native land is eontrolled by one competent authority.