NATIVE & CROWN LAND

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17980, 27 March 1930, Page 9

NATIVE & CROWN LAND

PROBLEMS TO BE FACED. SIR A. NGATA’S GREAT WORK. AREAS IN RAGLAN ELECTORATE. (Special Reporter.) RANGIRIRI, Thursday. The problems of unoccupied Native and Grown lands were referred to by a deputation' to the Minister of Public Works (Hon. E. A. Ransom) during his stay at Rangiriri last night. Mr J. Furniss brought to the Minister's notice a block of -100 acres ol’ Crown land near the Renown Colliery, which had been set aside as a building area when the Mines Department had proposed to open a State colliery in the vicinity. Since the project of the State colliery had been abandoned the land had been allowed to lie idle and become a breeding ground for noxious weeds. Certain settlers were anxious that the land should be thrown open for settlement. The area could easily be converted into three compact dairy farms. One man and his sons were prepared to' take ovci the block on lease for any term, with the condition that the Government could resume occupation at any time it chose, provided the lessees were paid for the improvements. The speaker also mentioned an area of native land known as the Puketotara block, of about 500 acres, which was a harbourage, for noxious weeds. The block, he said, would make five ideal dairy farms if the machinery for acquiring it was simplified. With the present staggering costs In searching titles, etc., however, it was impossible for a small man to take _up native land. The speaker asked if the Government could not find some way of simplifying acquirement of native areas.' . Supported by Mir Leo Martin.

Mr 'vV. Lee Martin, M.P., supported the remarks and requests of Mr turniss. It seemed a shame., he said, that the building block referred to, should he permitted to remain a harbourage for noxious weeds. The speaker mentioned that some 01. the best settlers of the Raglan district were miners who had forsaken iho mines for farming. A number oi these men were prepared to rain; up the area in question. Speaking with regard to the acquirement of native lands, Mr Leo Martin said he had been in touch with Sir A. T. Ngata, who had promised, as soon as he had the time, to visit the Raglan electorate. The Minister said the Minister for Mines had good reason for not allowing the 400 acres mentioned to go to settlement. More than that the speaker could not say, other than that Mr Veitch doubtless, would, when he found it possible to throw open the land for settlement, do so. As to the native lands, Mr Ransom said more work had probably been done towards the settlement of these than in any other State Department. Natives were being encouraged in every way to farm their own lands, and where they would not do so, steps were being taken to facilitate the acquirement of such lands by Luropeans.

Natives Successfully Farming. The Minister added that on his recent tour of the North he was surprised at the number of natives successfully farming their own lands. He anticipated that with the steps being taken towards native land settlement,' they were well on the way to overcoming the native land problem. He did not know of any man in' the Dominion to-day who was doing greater work than Sir A. T. Ngata. Mr Campbell Johnstone complained that the Raglan County had, as yet, received no relief with regard to its vast areas of native lands. Sir A. T. Ngata had told the speaker that the natives in Raglan were a pretty solid lot, and that he was leaving his visit to Raglan till the last. (Laughter). Mr Clunc pointed out that right in the heart of civilisation, within a half a mile of the Great South Road, were dozens of small native areas, excellent land that would carry a cow to two acres, which were at present producing neither rates nor anything else of use, but were a menace to cultivated lands of the white settlers round about. The Minister promised to make the representations known in the proper quarters.