G.—6

2

Then, as now, there were only two sources from which the Crown lands could be replenished— by the acquisition on the one hand of Native lands, and on the other of private (European) estates. To acquire the former, legislation was introduced, and the following Acts passed : Native Land Purchase Act, 1892; Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905; Native Land Act, 1909, Part XIX. To achieve the latter the Land for Settlements Acts were passed. Native Land Purchases, 1891-1911. Period. Return. Area finally acquired. Amount paid. Acres. £ 1891-92 ... ... ... G.-4, 1892 179,618 42,830 1892-93 ... ... ... G.-4, 1893 132,357 16,670 1893-94 ... ... ... G.-3, 1894 345,850 123,569 1894-95 ... ... ... G.-2, 1895 124,751 32,627 1895-96 ... ... ... G.-3, 1896 467,689 70,131 1896-97 ... ... ... G.-3, 1897 315,490 100,432 1897-98 ... ... ... G.-3, 1898 360,238 83,994 1898-99 ... ... ... G.-3, 1899 402,578 92,005 1899-1900 ... ... ... G:-3, 1900 78,295 17,966 1900-01 ... ... ... G.-o, 190 i 206,954 35,561 1901-02 ... ... ... G.-3, 1902 84,882 27,456 1902-03 ... ... ... G.-3, 1903 65,486 27,262 1903-04 ... ... ... G.-3, 1904 18,765 5,658 1904-05 ... ... ... G.-3, 1905 13,515 2,587 1905-06 ... ... ... G.-3, 1906 3,855 20,410 1906-07 ... ... G.-3, 1907 5,069 5,024 1907-08 ... ... ... 267,256 154,534 1908-09 Survey liens 21,791) y 6 (G.-3, 1909 6,935) °' J ' 4 1909-10 ... ... G.-3a, 1910 15,588 21,953 1910-11 ... ... ... ... 75,437 123,437 3,192,399 £1,010,080

During the same period (for the greater part of which the sale of Native land to private individuals was prohibited) the area sold to private persons amounted to 499,F82 acres. So that during the period under review the Maori owners parted with the freehold of 3,692,281 acres,'and all this is in the North Island

Papatupu Lands. In 1891 the area of these, lying virgin not only to the axe of the settlers but to the law, held by the aboriginal owners under their customs and usages, not according to any title recognized by the District I,and Registration Offices, amounted to 2,777,209 acres. In 1909 this had been reduced to 490,752 acres, distributed as follows:— Auckland Land District — Acres. Acres. Opotiki County ... ... ... ... 140,000 Itotorua County ... ... ... ... 6,716 Kawhia County ... ... ... ... 45,170 North Auckland •... ... ... ... 127,581 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... 22,000 341,467 Hawke's Bay Land District.— Waiapu County ... ... .. 149,285 490,752 At the 31st March, 1911, this area had been further reduced to 190,792 acres, of which the bulk is in the Auckland Land District. The bare figures to those unacquainted with Native land matters may not be eloquent. But to those who know and understand the process of converting customary into freehold lands, held by registrable titles, the figures are exceedingly interesting. To illustrate : —• (a.) In 1891 the King-country, or Aotea-Rohe Potae, containing 1,844,780 acres, was closed to settlement, and was just being touched by the Native Land Court. The whole of what is now Waitomo County was then Native land. The area of that county is roughly 658,560 acres. The County Council recently make the statement: " The total area of rateable Native lands irS Waitomo County on the roll is 262,553 acres, of which 195,000 acres have been leased or sold to Europeans, and the balance of 67,553 acres is in the name of nominated Native owners." (b.) The Urewera County, containing approximately 650,000 acres, was until 1896 deliberately closed by the tribal policy against surveys. Land Courts, and even the Queen's writ. There the old regime made its last stand. In that year legislation was passed to enable the title to this large area to be ascertained. In 1907 the preliminary work of investigation was, with the exception of one block of 1,000 acres, completed, subject to adjustments of minor errors, and the next step, that of the settlement of the country, undertaken. The Crown is in treaty for the purchase of 100,000 acres, of which it has completed 37,000.