The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1. NATIVE LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 87, 1 April 1908, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1. NATIVE LANDS.

At Auckland on Saturday the Chief Justice tf.ivi- some interesting inl'ormatiuil «s to the extent of land in some of the northern comities owned and oceu-

pied by Maoris. "The one thing that strikes me most forcibly," said Sir lloln-rt, "is the small area of land iu the counties that is in the occupation or Maoris. For example, in the Rodney

lounty there are only about !)000 acres, and (1500 of the total are held by °'" ; family, consisting of children and grandchildren. Looking at the uuality of the land, it is not a large area if the number of persons is considered. In Waitemata

county there are not more than about 7(11)0 acres in the occupation of Maori-. There is, however, about another 7000 acres of Maori land under lease to Europeans. In Otamatea county there an only about 0000 acres in the possession of Maoris. There is in this county, however, a considerable area—about :t(l,ll(KI acres—belonging to Maoris under

lease. In Hobson county there U a larger area of Maori land—about 70,000 acres—but of this area there are about

40,000 acres under lease to Europeans. There is only 30,000 acres in Maori occupation, and halt that is covered with drift sand. It might, perhaps, be sown with marama grass. \ou will see, therefore, that so far as the lands iu these four counties are in the occupation of Maoris the area is very limited.''

In reply to a question as to his impressions of the progress of the Kaipara district, Sir Robert Stout said: "I saw | Teat progress since I visited it first, now twenty-ihrec years ago. The people seem to be taking to farming. I found that natives, many of them landless, had drifted to Hobson county from other parts of the colony for gum-digging, but now that the gum-digging is not so prosperous as formerly they are taking up | dairving and ianning. There seems l.i be a great future for the industry in this direction." The success that has

attended the Hon. Mr. Carroll's ncgotia. tloas with the Urewera natives for the opening up of their land for prospecting and settlement was mentioned to Sir Robert Stout, who said the result was most satisfactory. The Native Land Commissioners had already oh-

taincd from the Urewera natives an offer of between 20,000 and 30,000 acres for settlement, and Sir Robert said ho had no doubt that with Mr. Carroll's influence he would be able to get much more. Some of the land is first-class for settlement purposes.