MAORI LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81869, 19 October 1906, Page 3

MAORI LANDS.

THE GOVERNMENT'S LATEST BILL. IMPORTANT CHANGES.. The Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment Bill has passed its first reading, was read a second time proforma, and on the motion of the a " tive Minister has been referred to .the Native Affairs Committee. S veral exceedingly, important proposals are contained in the Bill, whk'h will have a. great effect in promoting the settlement of native lands if they are adopted. Coupled with a proposal to increase the number of members comprising Maori Land Boards from three to four are several proposals which enormously increase thj Board's powers of dealing with the idle unproductive lands held by the natives.. The Bill makes art i m " portant advance in the power of t,'.' 0 Native Minister to open up land for settlement. Last year's Act enabled the Minister to vest in the Maori Land Boards of the Tokerau and Tairawhiti laud district!? such lands as, in his opinion, were not required or were not suitable for occupation by the Maori owners. This lam' could be heid and administered by the Board for the benefit of the Maori owners, and it could be leased for any term not exceeding fifty years. The new Act authorises the Minister to deal similarly with any Maori isnd, wherever it is situated, if it is not required or suitable for occupation by the Maori owners.

Formerly the land to be leased was classified into firs't, second, third, or fourth class land, a limitation being placed upon ihe areas to be leased in any one block. A simpler and more effective form of laying down a maximum holding is provided in the new Bill, which says that the area shall not excee' ,£SOOO unimproved value in any block. The aim of the measure is apparently to get as far as possible in line with the Government's proposals as to the leasing of Crown lands, for the term of Maori land leases is to be extended from 50 to 60 years, and a clause expressly limits the area which any one person may hold to an unimproved value not exceeding This should prevent the dummyism alleged to exist ii\ connection with native lands at present leased by Europeans in some districts. Maori Land Boards arc given power to approve any lease of Maori land. If their power of refusal is exercised, the persons interested will have a right of appeal to the Native Appellate Court.

It has been a complaint by European settlers that (he unused Maori lands adjoining their farms had been a constant menace in 'the form of breeding grounds for noxious weeds. By a bold the new Act proposes to remove the grievance. It gives the Minister p*jwer to declare that Maori lands which have not been properly cleared of noxious weeds are subject to the control of Maori Land Beards as "lands not required or not suitable for occupation by the Maori owners." Another proposal, designed to facilitate settlement of native lands, is the clause giving power to determine any existing leases which ate keeping Maori lands locked up m large areas to the detriment of settlement.