NATIVE LANDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3553, 16 August 1920, Page 5

NATIVE LANDS.

o NOTHING LEFT FOR PAKEHA. WELLINGTON, August 13. The Native Department is sometimes twitted with not publishing figures and making statements about the position of native lands, states the annual report of the Native 1 Department. All the hgurs and statements that can be made will not alter the position, which is that th ! e Maoris have disposed of nearly all the (lands they can dispose of without making the hulk of them landless, later probably to become a charge on the State. This pronouncement is supported by figures showing that the area owned by the Maoris at March 31 was 4,787,686 acres, of which the following areas were profitably occupied: Leased through the Maori Land Boards 2,810. 637 acres, leased and. farmed by East Coast Trust Commissioner 1587432 acres, (leased by Public Trustee 9,538 acres, occupied by Maori owners 380, 000 acres, leaving area unoccupied 1.277,278 acres. If to the last area is addfed 380,000 acres occupied by Maori owners, the no is a total area of 1,657, 27‘8 acres: hut eliminating 750,000 acres of pumice areas, mountain tops, etc., leaves 907,278 acres suitable for settlement, which cannot, says the report, be regarded as an icxcegsive area for 47,000 Maoris comprising the population of the North Island. Thus, instead of there being large areas of native land available for general settlement, it would seem, that there is barely sufficient for the natives themselves. Seeing that Europeans have acquired about 62,000.000 acres of native land, the report suggests it should not he thought unreasonable to allow the native owners to retain lh|e small area remaining to them, for it can safely he said that, the lands leased to the i Europeans will never return to the occupation of native ownlers. The great problem is t,o get them settled upon their individual holdings, but this, is an object not likkly to be fully realised, as all the Maoris will! not become farmers any more than will all Europeans.