NATIVE LANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8344, 29 January 1907, Page 7

NATIVE LANDS.

WORK OF THE COMMISSION. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, January 27. The Premier 'lreferred to the Native Land Commisison in his speech here on Saturday evening. He said he wanted to direct the attention of the people of the colony to the fact that the Native Lands Commission }iad been appointed. The Government wanted results from the starting of that commission, and that would do a great deal of good for this part of the colony particularly, and for the colony as a whole. (Applause). ' There were nearly six million acres , of native land doing comparatively no good to the country, and the Administration now saw that while there had been high ideals the results did not show that. The system of the present'' machinery, had not produced satisfactory results. A progressive land policy was needed so as to ensure that the people would have the opportunity of getting on the land, and that was what the Government was contending for. He realised that differences of opinion were likely to exist, but What had really to be done was to pass legislation to ensure that the millions of acres still unoccupied should be made available for settlement and to bring about a substitution of the prqsent chaotic position by laws which would conserve the rights of the original holders and the rights of posterity. (Applause). The system to be followed in the present case would ensure that the commission, sixteen days after the next session of ; Parliament, would furnish a report on every block of land investigated, * and say: how much of that land was available and on what terms it should be disposed of to Europeans. At present the Chief Justice is endeavouring to so arrange matters that the commission will be able to commence work at Christchurch on Thursday next. His Honour is expected to indicate what methods the commission will take to expeditiously complete the work before it and some statement will, in all likelihood, also be made by the AttorneyGeneral, the Hon. Dr. Findlay.! The Government has also decided to appoint Mr C. P. Skerrett as counsel • for the natives, and Mr A.'L. D. Fraser, M.H.R., who is well-known as a native advocate /will assist Mr Skerrett in his duties before the commission.