WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1916, Page 3

WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

MEETING OF NATIVES. A number of native:, interested in the W.C.S. Reserves met the Cnder-Seeietarv of Native Affairs {.ludjo T. W. Fisher) at Opunake on Thursday and Friday in connection with alienations of their interests in the 1892 leases, which are vested in the Public Trustee, and are held under lease with perpetual right of renewal. In the first place, the olficer in question pointed out to the native owners that while the recent legislation allowed the sale of the lands in question to tlie Crown, who on acquiring the same could grant the freehold to respective lessees, still the Native Land Purchase Board desired to be satisfied that any interests' acquired from vendors would on becoming Crown Land be taken up by way of freehold tenure by tho lessees.

Owing to the war and the stringency of the money market, it meant that the Land Pmvhasc Board did not desire to raise funds to purchase these lands simply with the view of changing the position of the landlord, viz., by placing the Crown Land Department in the position of the Public Trustee, and therefore desired in any purchase to he made to be satisfied that the occupiers of the leases on the same becoming Crown land would find the necessary cash and so refund the purchase money paid by the Crown so that general finances would not be disturbed—as at present it was desirable as far as the Native Land Purchase Board was concerned that all monies available for land purchases should be utilised in acquiring new land, which could be placed on the market for fresh settlements; therefore in purchasing these W.C.S. Reserves it was looked upon as an assistance to lessees who were prepared to pay up in cash the value of the leasehold land they occupied.

A further matter touched upon was the issue of debentures under provisions of the .Native Land Amendment Act, 1013, and a specimen sheet was exhibited and explanation given as to same to the effect that assuming any of the owners in the 1892 leases were decided as to sale, then if agreeable the Land Purchase Board would arrange to pay one-third cash and to give debentures for, say, one-third for five years and the remaining third for ten years, the debentures bearing interest at the rate of 4>/o per cent, per annum. This would then assist some lessees who could not find tiie necessary cash to acquire freehold by coming under (when Crown land) the O.E.P. tenure. The debentures and coupons attached were explained to the natives, and it was pointed out that they would receive in cash the value of cavh half-year's coupon on due date, and payment made on presenting same to the Bank for payment, the debentures being inalienable without the consent of the Native Land Court, as in the case of actual land, and also were fully protected against attachment, etc., vide section 124 of the Native Land Act, ISA!).

It was also pointed out that in all caies the Crown must pay the native owners the value of the owner's interests in the unimproved value of the land, on the values ascertained by the Valuer-General, whose certificate would, be issued in avcordance with the ascertained value.

The natives generally seemed to be satisfied with the position as explained, but in the cases of the majority it was stated that in settling their interests in the 1892 leases, it was mainly for the purpose of acquiring (if possible) the interests (unexpired term) of lessees in the ISBI leases, and in these cases the lessees were desirous of obtaining full payment in cash, and therefore were not inclined to accept, even with the Native Land Court's confirmation, the debentures as part payment for the goodwill, etc., of their leaseholds. The result of the conference has been that a good few of the native owners have disposed of their interests in various grants in the vicinity of Opunake, and it is understood that when a rea? sonablc interest has been acquired in each grant, then steps will be taken for the partition of sub-divisions or sections to the amount of the value acquired by the Crown, and then after the same has been declared Crown land the lessees of the respective subdivisions will have the right to acquire the freehold thereof.