NATIVE LAND PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 157, 24 June 1908, Page 2

NATIVE LAND PROBLEM.

THE KAWHIA LANDS. STATEMENT BY Sill UOBEItT STOUT, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Lust Slight. In reference to the naive land proulem, it was recently stated that ijtf milts oi' tiie frontage to the Kawhia harbor' was entirely in the possession of the native*, and tiiat in the county itself over 100,000 acres of the choicest hind was lying idle and unproductive. In connection with this statement, },he chairman of the Native Lands Commission (Sir ltobert Stout) was to-day asked for his opinion. Sir ltobert said that the Commission had sent in a report dealing with tne King Country and Kaivliia hist week, and it would no. doubt. be published .shortly by the (fovernmciit when l'arliainent meets.

"1 may explain," said Sir Kobert, "that in Kawhia county there are about 112,.100 acres of native land, hut 01 mat quantity about -Io.DOO acres is "papv, tupu," tiiat is, the native tide has not yet been ascertained. With regard to it nothing can be done by the Commission until the title lias been ascertained, j.he Commission bus already dealt with ."0.000 acres of native land outside of th; punatupu blacks, to which I. have, referred. It should also be noted that a considerable area of native lauds theß is composed of pure sandhills, or, if nm, is land of audi a character as to be unsuitable for settlement. It is estimated that the area of the land filch as 1 have just described is about 40,000 acres. The Commission has also sent in a report dealing with the land at To Ku'ti and in the King Country. It. will be seen from that report that a vast area of native lands has cither been leased to Europeans, or else that Hie .Maoris are willing to lease it, and that they lire not keeping for themselves any large area in "rohepotae" again. I suppose that a quarter of a million acres of land have been leased to Europeans. I may say that the present position at Kawhia is'that the Maoris, including the papxtupu blocks, do no hold as much laart per head us do Europeans settled there."