WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1915, Page 3

WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

AX AMENDING BILL. The Wutft Coast Settlement Keserves Amendment Bill introduced by the Government proposes to authorise the Native Land Court tp enquire into any error or omission m&de in the making of an order affecting land granted under the West Coast Settlement Reserves (North Island) Act, 1889, and.the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, and to amend or cancel such orderisjind make a fresh order to take its place. It proposes also to empower a native beneficial owner or Jus successor to alienate by way of gift any part of his interest to any other native, and to give authority to the Native Laud Court to declare that land formerly used as a tribal burial place, or fish landing-place, but Crown-granted to an individual or individuals, is tribal land, and to award it to the owners according to Maori custom. This no doubt will give a flexibility to the law which, used with judgment, should from time to time be favorable to changes called for by new conditions and common sense. This may be said of other provisions, such as those empowering the Native Land Court to vest in the Public Trustee or Maori Land Board, as trustee, any area used as a general kainga, urupa or tauranga waka, and to at any time re-vest it in its beneficial owner or owners who have acquired by purchase a lease granted by tlie (Public Trustee under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, or any Act amending that Act; and to ell'cct exchanges for the purpose of consolidating family interests, notwithstanding the absence of consent of any party affected, on being satisfied that the proposed exchange is mutually advantageous to all the parties affected. It is also proposed to authorise the Public Trustee to pay to the beneficial owners all capital funds in his hands arising from the payment by lessees for improvements on the conversion of leases, or from royalties on stone or minerals raniovcd, or from compensation for any lands taken under the Public Works Act; and, further, to empower the same officer '(the Public Trustee} to pay and distribute any rents received by him in respect of lands affected by sections 15 and 21 on the West Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Act, 1913, as if the partitions provided by section 15 had taken effect when made; and it is also proposed that, for the purposes of the application of section 109 of the Native Land Amendment Act, 1013, shall be deemed to have taken effect on the making thereof. Other provisions in the Bill "deal with matters of detail, but those we have quoted make the measure as a whole one of considerable importance. We should, however, like to be assured the work is purely machinery work, and that the Native Land Court is the proper body to deal with dispositions arising out of'the legislation of ISBO and 1881. This legislation was the result of the work of the West Coast Commission, a singularly strong body, and if the recommendation's of that Commission are to be reviewed the matter would seem to be one worth careful watching. The Native Land Court sits in all sorts of places at all sorts of odd times, conducts its business mainly in the native tongue, and practically is beyond the observation of the people at large. The Bill proposes to give this body the power to enquire into ''any error nr omission made in an order ■ ■ . . ami to amend or caned such order and make a fros.h order," and it seems n pretty wide power. If the proposal merely embraces machinery worl; such as the Native Land Court has been in the habit of doing it is free from objection. If it gives wider power it may be open to objection. We hope that when the Hill is before the House the matter will he made quite clear. Kveii the most Innocent-looking Hills in connection with native affairs usually deserve scrutiny.—Hawera Star.