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inquiry is over another session has come round, and a further petition is presented complaining about the Trust Commissioner's inquiry; and a new member of Parliament may come upon the scene—entirely new to the whole of the previous transactions —and he thinks that there has been great unfairness towards the Natives, and the whole business is raked up in Parliament. In the meantime the subject of all these processes has had probably to pay the expenses of bringing his witnesses forward for the second inquiry by the Trust Commissioner. It is possible then the case may become the subject of Supreme Court proceedings. This is a shocking state of atiairs. It is a scandal in a civilised country. . . . And I think I am not exaggerating the position when I say that, generally speaking, no lawyer can honestly advise a client of his to have anything whatever to do with Native-land dealings." In our report on lands in the Whanganui District (pp. 14 and 15) we dealt fully with the leasing of lands in that district since the general removal of restrictions against leasing effected by section 16 of "The Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905." It is admitted that large areas of hitherto unoccupied lands have thereby been brought under settlement. But it is well for the colony to know some of the existing defects in legislation, some of the dangers and difficulties attending the leasing of lands by direct negotiation with the Maori owners. Limitation of Area. The maximum area that may be included in any one lease is fixed at 640 acres of first-class, 2,000 acres of second-class, 5,000 acres of third-class, and 15,000 acres of fourth-class land, and in exceptional cases the limit of 15,000 acres may be exceeded. But a question has been raised whether there is anything to prevent a lessee taking up as much land as he likes in separate leases, each covering an area not exceeding the prescribed maximum. Any person holding or owning more than 2,000 acres of freehold land, inclusive of not more than 640 acres of first-class land, is debarred from leasing (in his own name) any Native land. But a person holding or owning just that maximum and no more may probably lease further, and even to the extent of as much land as he can get. Further, it is doubtful whether the present occupier under lease of the largest tract of land, provided his freehold, if any, did not exceed the above maximum, cannot acquire further leasehold to any extent. It is probable also that there is nothing in our Maori-land laws to prevent the aggregation of leasehold lands; there is no provision governing transfers or requiring from a transferee or sublessee a declaration as in the case of the original lessee; so that probably leaseholds may be aggregated either in the hands of a person already possessing an abundance of leaseholds, or in the bands of those who own large freeholds. It is a curious reflection that, while the colony has committed itself to a policy of close settlement in respect of Crown lands, with limitations as to the area any one selector may hold, it has permitted, and still apparently permits, aggregation in Native lands. The question arises, ought there to be any limitation of holdings in Native land? We need not point out that nation after nation has found that the aggregation of estates is against the well-being of the people. This has been affirmed from Pliny's days to the present, and we assume that the policy of this country is aginst that " latifundia " which is said to have destroyed Italy. In the administration of our Crown lands the limitation of holdings has been the avowed policy of the colony for thirty years, and has been affirmed by all political parties. The Land Act of 1877, initiated by Mr. Donald Eeid, as Minister of Lands in the Atkinson Ministry, prescribed the maximum of land that could be held by any one selector in the case of rural land on deferred payment as 320 acres, and no person who was the owner in fee of 640 acres in all could become a selector. " The Land Act 1877 Amendment Act, 1882," introduced by the late Mr. Rollestcn, then Minister of Lands in the Whitaker Ministry, contained the following provision in reference to perpetual leases