NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1368, 7 April 1881, Page 3

NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

Deaung with the Native Land purchase department, Mr Bryco in his recent speech said the Gray Government went into office with an avowed determination to stop the purchase of native lands. They not only did not stop the system but continued it with greater intensity than before. He was determined to do what they had failed. When he look office he found the system had attained large dimensions, employing 33 officers, and coating 1 the colony £10,265 annually for salaries. There were on Bth Jan. 1881, only 13 officers, with a salary of £3,689, and while all the reductions were going on the office was kept busily employed in winding up and completing transactions in hand. In some cases ' the purchases were completed, others abandoned, and in some the Court was called upon to define the Crown interests. He hoped they were satisfied with his conduct on that score. He had proposed' last session a Bill which would have struck out a new line in native purchases, but it had been found impossible to carry the Bill through. He hoped, however, a similar Bill would be introduced next session. To give them some idea of the transactions completed by him during his term of office, he would slate that in the Auckland district 36,314 acres, Thames 21,128 acres, Taupo and Bay of Plenty 32,905, acre5, East Coast and Poverty Bay 277,072 acres, and Wellington 82,000, in all a total of 448,463 acres, had been handed over from the Native Department to the Waste Lands Department for settlement. That did not represent the whole of the work done, for in addition the purchases had been nearly completed of in Auckland 253,700 acres, Wellington 32,000 acres, and Taranaki 93,000 acres, or a total of 373,000 acres, making a gross total of 822,461 acres. He thought that was very fair work while reducing the Department.