NATIVE LANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9565, 11 August 1909, Page 3

NATIVE LANDS.

SETTLEMENT IN THE KING COUNTRY.

lhe Acting Prime Minister (Hon. J. Carrol) has . had prepared figures showing the progress and settlement of native lands in the King Country, or Aotea-Rohepotae distrct. When the Native Land Court endeavoured to ascertain the area in 1886 the total-was fixed at 1,844,780 acsjes, and of this there now only remains 61,400 acres which have not been dealt with for settlement or for other profitable- use. The area actually alienated is as follows: Acres. By sale 842,665 Venting in lieu of survey liens • 29,178 Scenic reserves 257 Private purchase 15,C56 Total ' .890.157 Apart from the 61,400 acres, there is an area of 833,221 acres, which has been allocated for u&e, while still remaining the property of the natives, in the following ways:— Leased for pastoral purposes, 296,452 acres; leased for timber-cutting, 126,131 acres; native townships, 1,459 acres; dealt with by Native Land, Commission; Maori .occupation, 163,523 acre*; leasing by public auction, 240,034.acre5: sate by pubile auction, 65,622 acres. . , In the Kawhia district, large areas have, with the consent of the; Maori | Land Board, been leased to Europeans, and small areas are occupied and improved 'bv the Maori owners. The representatives of the tribe Hikiro) have asked that the restrictions be removed from their lands, and have delared their willingness to pay rates and taxes immediately tWs'isrdone. A sitting of the Native Land Court is to be held next month to investigate the titles of 45,000 acres in the Moerangi block, between Kawhia and Raglan, The fifteen thousand acres of the Te «kau block purchased by the Crown last [ yt-ar. are being icufc up for settlement, \ and it is expected that they will be opened fjr selection on optional j systems in October. Negotiations are now proceding for the purchase of another 15,W0' acres of the' same block.