NATIVE LAND COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 356, 6 April 1910, Page 5

NATIVE LAND COURT

JUDGES ON CIRCUIT. j "SPEEDING UP" MAORI LITIGANTS. Uy IHegnmh —Pi>mr Annotation. ] Wellington, Lust Uight. I Regulations under the Native Laud Act of last session have lwen drafted, and it is anticipated that they will ba, Gazetted in a day or two. i Their chief feature will be the con-' stitution of various' circuits for the Native Land' Court judges. ; _ In the past the judges have held nit- • tings at variousplaces and have continued their sittings until the business before the Court was disponed of. That is to be done away with. | The Court will sit at a certain place on certain dates and for a definite period, and anything left undone will have to await the next sitting of the Court for its completion. By this means? it is licped to "speed up" the Maoris who have business and transform procrastination into haste. ,

Enquiries made among those interviewed on the subject go to Show that the position of native land settlement Is fairly satisfactory at the present time.

The new Act is designed to facilitate the settlement by way of lease or sale, of land which has for many rears hesn lying idle, chiefly for the'reason that it had not been clothed with a title, and that its ownership had not been decided by the Courts, or, further, because the multiplicity of owners constituted a bar to the carrying out of arrangements for its lease to an European. It is' gathered, however, that in verv many instances the land lias benn put on one side, and satisfactory (though technical!v illegal) arrangements have, been made between the .parties c.oncrned for the leasing of timber-cutting rights and of land for occupation purposes. Meanwhile, under the ne;v <'V pensstion the Court will first devoce its onersries to the tns'k of partitioning and ir'Vintj a. titlo to the larjre areas of land north of Whnn-rarei. and inland on the east coast.. TheVc are the portions or the island where the Court' services are rdiieflv renuirod in fchiV respect, md the work- will l.c put i n hand as soon as the regulations are gazetted.