MAORI LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1920, Page VII

MAORI LANDS.

SMALL AREA RETAINED. AN INTERESTING STATEMENT. (By Wire.*-J?arlianentary Reporter.) Wellington,' Last Night. The animal survey of operations of the Native Land Purchase Board states that in 1911 there were in the North Island 7,137,205 acres of land held by the Maoris. Since that time 1,009,949 acres were purchased by the Crown, and 1,339,570 alienated by sale through Maori Land Boards, leaving the approximate area owned by the Maoris at March 31, 1920, as 4,787,686 acres. Of the latter total 3,510,408 acres are estimated to be profitably occupied, leaving 1,227,278 acres unoccupied. If to the area of unoccupied land is added 380,000 acres estimated to be occupied by Maori owners there remain 1,657,278 acres available for the use of the Maoris, but of this it is estimated that about &50,000 acres are within the pumice area, SMid to this probably another 200,000 acres, winch includes mountain tops, springs, sand dunes, and land unfit for settlement, should' be added. This leaves an area of 907,278 acres that may be considered fit for settlement. This cannot be regarded as an excessive area for the use of the 47,000' Maoris comprising the population of the North Island and their descendants. It Is roughly 19 acres per head. Instead, therefore, of there being a large area of Native land available for general settlement, it would seem that there is barely sufficient for the requirements of the Natives themselves. Seeing that the Europeans have acquired a .large area of Native land it might not be thought unreasonable to,'allow the Native owners to retain the small area remaining to them, for it may safely lie said that the lands leased to Europeans will never return to the occupation of the Native owners. i '

The great problem is to get Maoris settled upon their individual holdings, but this is an object not likely to he fully realised, as all Maoris will not become farmers any more tlmn will all Europeans. The Native Department is sometimes twitted with not publishing figures and making statements in regard to the position of Native landß, but there are ampl" figures published in the various returns for anyone intelligent enough to understand them. All the figures and statements that can be made will not alter the position, which is that the Maoris have disposed of nearly all the lands that they can'dispose of without leaving the hulk of them landless, and later probably to become a charge on the State.