CONVERSION

Te Ao Hou, December 1959, Page 43

The Improvement of Maori Land Titles CONVERSION Second of a series of articles by TOITU TE WHENUA TE WHAKAMONI PAANGA MARAMARA Ko te whakamoni paanga maramara he huarahi i raro i nga rerenga o Te Ture e taea ai e Te Kaitiaki Maori te tango mai nga paanga maramara Whenua Maori hei hoko auatu ano ki te Maori, ki nga uri ranei o te Maori. Ko te huarahi tenei e riro mai ai i Te Kaitiaki Maori nga paanga maramara kei nga whenua rahui, hei pupuri mana i nga moni hua, hei painga mo te hunga no ratou aua whenua me o ratou uri ranei a te we e ea ai te moni a Te Kaitiaki Maori apiti atu ki tana komihana. No te mea kaore ano tenei kaupapa i tino marama ko te whakapae a etahi he kaupapa muru whenua. He mea ke ano te muru, he mea ke ano te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara. Ko te mea nui o tenei kaupapa, he whakatopu i nga paanga whenua maramara o te tangata Maori, pera i te kaupapa o nga mahi whakawhitiwhiti, me nga mahi whakatopu paanga whenua. Ko te whakatopu paanga he mahi nui whakaharahara, ko te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara whenua he mahi mama ake, a mehemea te tangata ka ngakau nui ki tenei kaupapa ka riro ma konei e whakatikatika haere nga taitara o nga whenua Maori. Ko te mea nui ia ka mau tonu nga whenua Maori ki te Maori. Ko te tino hiahia hoki o etahi o te hunga ina noa ake o ratou na paanga kei nga poraka whenua Maori e hia nei te tokomaha o te huga no ratou te whenua, he hoko atu i o ratou paanga ki te Pakeha. Tera noa atu e marama tenei hiahia ki te hoko ki te Pakeha, no te mea ko te nuinga o te tangata Maori kua maramara noa ake nga hea whenua, kua kore noa iho he wariu. Ko ta te kaupapa whakamoni paanga maramara he aruaru haere i te hoko ki te Pakeha, haunga te hoko o nga whenua motuhake no te This series of articles is written by one who is closely associated with Maori land matters. It is being published so as to give our readers full and authentic information about vitally important legislation on Maori land, passed since 1953. This legislation was put forward by the previous Government in an effort to protect Maori land and avert the danger of titles becoming unmanageable through the constant breaking up of small land interests through successions and other causes. The legislation was passed unopposed. However, it is highly technical and not easily understood by the layman. Considering the complexities of Maori land, this was not to be avoided. In our first instalment we reviewed the law as it stood before 1953; the present article discusses the most important new principle introduced by the Maori Affairs Act 1953 and the Maori Reserved Lands Act 1955, namely conversion. Conversion may be defined as a device whereby the Maori Trustee may acquire from the Conversion Fund set up under the Act interests in Maori freehold land for the purpose of selling them to Maoris (including persons descended from Maoris). It also enables the Maori Trustee to acquire interests in Maori reserved lands to hold the income therefrom, after he has recouped himself for the price paid plus a commission, for the general benefit of the former owners and their descendants. Because it is not yet fully understood, conversion is sometimes referred to as confiscation. It is, however, in its aim and its effects the very opposite of confiscation. Its purpose in relation to freehold land is the retention of Maori land in Maori ownership by enabling plural ownership of blocks to be converted to sole ownership, or something approaching sole ownership. In a sense it is a form of consolidation but it is not as difficult to organise and manage as the large scale consolidation schemes and should, if it is used widely by owners who wish to build up their land interests, achieve quicker and better results. Conversion is aimed not at confiscation but at protection of Maori freehold land. The trend in cases of plural ownership, especially

tangata Maori ake a ko te mea nui he whaka-mama i nga huarahi e taea ai e te Maori te tango mai nga hea maramara o etahi atu Maori. Ko to tenei kupapa ko tona korero “whakatopu ka mau waiho maramarma ka ngaro” ara ma te whakamoni i nga naanga maramara e whakatopu aua paanga, waiho kia takoto maramara ana he ngaro tona mutunga ara ma konei anake ka mau nga whenua Maori ki te Maori. KO TE WHAKAMONI O NGA PAANGA MARAMARA MOTUHAKE Ko nga paanga whenua maramara e riro i Te Kaitiaki Maori i runga i te kaupapa whakamoni i aua paanga e kore e hokona ki te Pakeha engari ka puritia hei hoko ki te Maori ki te uri ranei o te Maori mo tetahi take Maori ranei. Kaore mo tetahi atu take. Kaore Te Kaitiaki Maori e pokanoa ana ki te whakamoni i aua paanga maramara kia whai tangata Maori tonu hei tango i aua paanga. Ko te whai hoki kia riro tonu ma tetahi o te hunga whai paanga ki te poraka e hoko aua paanga maramara. Mehemea ka mohio iho Te Kaitiaki Maori ko te hiahia o te kaihoko o aua paanga he tango hei hoko ki te Pakeha tere tonu te aruarutia o taua whakaaro he poka ke hoki tera i te kaupapa o tenei ture. Kaore hoki Te Kaitiaki Maori e tango i aua paanga hei pupuri noa mana, kaore i pera rawa atu tana Putea Moni mo of small and uneconomic areas of rural land (and most blocks of Maori land are in this category), is towards sales to pakehas, and this seems to be largely due to the understandable apathy of owners whose minute shares have become almost devoid of use or value. Conversion discourages this trend, without disturbing the general right of sale to Europeans in proper cases, by providing a relatively simple procedure to stimulate sales to Maoris. “Convert and hold; fragment and lose” might well become the slogan of all who wish to ensure that Maori land is retained for the Maori. CONVERSION OF FREEHOLD INTERESTS Interests in Maori land acquired by the Maori Trustee from the Conversion Fund cannot be sold to Europeans but are available for disposal to descendants of Maoris or for Maori purposes (housing or land development) and not otherwise. In practice, the Maori Trustee does not acquire interests unless there is a Maori purchaser already in view, or at the very least there is good prospect of an early sale to a Maori. Preference in sales is given to owners in the block concerned. The Maori Trustee will not sell even to a co-owner, however, if that owner proposes to sell

tenei kaupapa ko tona hiahia riro ana mai te whenua riro atu ana. Ko te utu o te whenua mo te hoko a Te Kaitiaki Maori ko te utu ano i te hokonga mai apiti atu ki tetahi komihana paku nei. Ko te utu e whakaputaina ana ki te hunga no ratou nga paanga maramara e riro ana ma Te Kooti Whenua Maori e whakatau i runga ano i nga kaupapa e takoto ki tona aroaro me te wariu o te whenua. Ko te kaupapa o te wariu ko ta te Kawanatanga wariu mo te whenua. E kiia ai te paanga whenua Maori he paanga maramara me £25 heke iho te wariu. Ko te moni reti mo te whenua koianei te wariu he rua tekau ma rima hereni i te tau, na reira ko te moni e whakataua ana e Te Kooti ano ko te moni reti mo te 20 tau e whakaputaina toitutia ana. (i) KO TE KAUPAPA WHAKAMONI I RARO O NGA MAHI WHAKATOPU PAANGA He tikanga tino pai tenei te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara i raro i nga mahi whakatopu paanga. Ko ta te whakatopu paanga he whakatikatika haere i nga taitara o nga poraka, engari ki te whakaaetia e Te Kooti me mahi tahi tenei kaupapa me te kaupapa whakamoni i nga paanga maramara, a me whakaae ranei etahi o te hunga hea pakupaku o ratou, kaore i eke rawa ki te paanga maramara, ki te whakawhitiwhiti i o ratou na hea koia nei te tino kaupapa tika. Ki te whakamahia tikatia enei kaupapa tera e whaiti nga hea o te poraka ki te hunga tokoiti i runga OBTAINABLE AT YOUR STATIONER the interests so purchased to a pakeha as this would defeat the whole purpose of conversion. Nor does the Maori Trustee wish to hold interests in his own name for very long. The Conversion Fund is limited in amount and it is better for him and all concerned to make buying and selling one continuous process, so that the money can be used again for further purchases with a view to further rapid sales. The price he charges is the price he pays plus a small commission. In all cases where uneconomic freehold interests are acquired by the Maori Trustee the price to be paid to the owners is fixed by the Court on the evidence before it, as to value. The minimum evidence required in cases where one or a few small interests are to be acquired is the current Government valuation. Where numerous interests are to be acquired such as on a consolidation order the Court usually requires as a minimum a special up-to-date Government valuation of the block. An uneconomic interest is defined as one the value of which in the opinion of the Court does not exceed £25. Land valued at £25 normally produces about 25s a year in rent, so that on conversion in return for the land an owner receives twenty years' rent in a lump sum. (i) Conversion of freehold interests on consolidated orders This is the most effective means for conversion of freehold interests. A consolidated order in itself merely improves the recording of the ownership of the block, but when on the recommendation of the Court it is coupled with the conversion of uneconomic interests, or used in conjunction with an approved arrangement among owners regarding interests whether or not they are uneconomic, it provides a simple and easy means of curing fragmentation of land ownership. By using it an owner, whether or not his own interest is uneconomic, can acquire with the assistance of the Maori Trustee and subject to the approval of the Court, a larger and more useful share in the block. The consolidated order process it, briefly, as follows:—Full information on shares and values is assembled; application is made by the Registrar to the Court for a consolidated order and is prosecuted by the Conversion Officer; there are two hearings by the Court; at the first hearing the Court directs in what manner notice of the application is to be given to owners and if asked to do so (and if satisfied) recommends that the Maori Trustee should acquire the uneconomic interests at a price which it thereupon fixes; the Maori Trustee usually has two months from this time to find a purchaser for those interests, and if he can do so, he then files his consent to their acquisition; if he cannot find a purchaser, he usually files his objection to buying; at both hearings or either of them any owner can object to the content of the list of owners if he thinks if incorrect, to the purchase of his interest or to the price

i te awhina a Te Kaitiaki Maori me te whakaae a Te Kooti a ka ngawari mo nga mahi whakanohonoho. Ina te kaupapa o te mahi whakatopu paanga. Ka whaiti te rarangi ingoa o te hunga no ratou te poraka whenua me nga hea me nga wariu o tena o tena ka takoto te tono a Te Kai Rehita mo tetahi ota whakatopu paanga ma Te Apiha Whakamoni Paanga Maramara e whakatakoto ki te aroaro o Te Kooti. E rua takotoranga o taua take ki te aroaro o Te Kooti. I te taktotoranga tuatahi ka tohutohu Te Kooti me pehea te tukutuku o nga whakaatu mo taua keehi ki te hunga no ratou te whenua a mehemea hoki kua takoto te tono pera ka whakahau Te Kooti kia tangohia e Te Kaitiaki Maori nga paanga maramara i runga i te utu e whakataua i taua wa. E rua marama Te Kaitiaki Maori e rapu tangata ana hei tango i aua paanga maramara a ki te kitea aua tangata ka whakatakoto ia i tana whakaae ki te aroaro o Te Kooti, ki te kore hoki ka whakatakoto ia i tana whakahe. I nga tuunga e rua o Te Kooti e ahei te tangata whai paanga ki te whakatakoto i tana whakahe, ki te rarangi ingoa ranei, ki te wariu o te whenua ranei, ki te hoko ranei o ona paanga. Ka tau taua keehi ka tukua e Te Kooti nga paanga maramara ki Te Kaitiaki Maori a ka whakahaua kia whakatoputia nga paanga kua takoto pai te taitara a ka rehitatia. Na reira ki te mahi tahi te hunga no ratou te whenua me Te Kaitiaki Maori ka taea te whakatopu nga paanga a ka toitu o ratou whenua Maori. (ii) KO TE KAUPAPA WHAKAMONI I RUNGA I TE WHAKAAE A TE KATOA. E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te tango i nga paanga o tetahi tangata ma nga moni o te putea whakamoni paanga maramara mehemea ka pirangi tetahi tangata ki te hoko pera i ona hea a kei Te Kaitiaki Maori te tikanga mo te hoko i aua paanga ki tetahi atu Maori. (iii) KO TE KAUPAPA WHAKAMONI I RARO O NGA MAHI KAIRIIWHI E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te whakahaua e Te Kooti ki te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara i raro o nga mahi kairiiwhi paanga tupapaku, haunga ia mehemea me ata tuku ma te wira a ka whakamahia ranei i runga i to Te Kooti whakaaro hei ahuwhenua hei tunga whare ranei. Otira kaore e mau te ringa o Te Kaitiaki Maori ki aua paanga mehemea kei te mohio iho ia kaore he taunga atu mo aua paanga, he takitahi rawa atu nga wa e penei ai. Kaore he hiahia o Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te tango noa i nga paanga maramara ki tona ringa pupuri noa ai he herehere noa hoki tenei i nga moni o tana putea. (iv) KO TE WHAKAMONI PAANGA MARAMARA I RARO I NGA MAHI WEHEWEHE PAANGA KIA TAEA AI TE WHAKATOPU I RARO O NGA MAHI WHAKATOPU TAI-TARA. E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara i raro i enei ahuatanga fixed; when the Court has heard the matter fully and is satisfied that all is well, it can vest the uneconomic shares in the Maori Trustee and make the consolidated order which brings the title up-to-date and can be registered. Thus, by working in consultation and collaboration with the Maori Trustee, owners can take advantage of this relatively quick and simple process to convert their shares into larger and more useful interests, and so take an important step towards preserving their blocks in Maori ownership. (ii) Conversion of freehold interests by agreement The Maori Trustee may at any time purchase from the Conversion Fund any freehold interest by private agreement with the owner and may sell any interests so bought in the way already mentioned to Maoris or for Maori purposes, but not otherwise. (iii) Conversion of freehold interests on succession There is power for the Maori Trustee to acquire by Court order uneconomic interests in freehold land on succession, unless they have been specifically devised to the beneficiary by will, or in the opinion of the Court they could and would be used by the owner and another Maori for housing or farming etc. He declines to accept such interests, however, unless he knows of another owner or an occupier who wishes to buy them and this is, relatively speaking, seldom the case. The Maori Trustee does not wish to become the owner for an indefinite period of a host of small shares which he cannot readily sell. This serves no useful prupose and ties up conversion moneys which could be better used in other ways. (iv) Conversion of freehold interests on partition, as part of consolidation schemes and an amalgamation of titles The Maori Trustee can if so recommended by the Court acquire uneconomic interests in all these cases, but in practice does not often avail himself of this power for the reasons given under “Conversion on succession” above. The definition of an uneconomic interest in such cases is one that in the opinion of the Court does not exceed £25 in value and which by itself or in conjunction with any other interest(s) to which an owner is entitled would not on partition etc. entitle him to an area that could, in the opinion of the Court, be used with advantage to the owner as a separate unit of occupation or production. CONVERSION OF INTERESTS IN MAORI RESERVED LAND The Maori Trustee is entitled in certain circumstances to acquire uneconomic interests in reserved land such as North Island Tenths and West Coast Settlement Reserves. These interests are defined as beneficial interests the value of which does not exceed £25 when ascertained as follows:

engari kua kiia ake nei e kore ia e tango hei pupuri noa. Ko te whakamarama o te paanga maramara ko ta Te Kooti e whakatau ai kaore i neke ata i te £25 a kaore e taea te wehe mai i te toenga o te poraka e whai painga ai ki te tangata nona aua paanga. KO TE WHAKAMONI PAANGA MARAMARA KEI NGA WHENUA RAHUI E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te whakamoni i nga paanga maramara kei nga whenua rahui mehemea kaore i neke atu te wariu i te £25 a mehemea kei te riihi aua whenua i runga i te whakaputa o nga moni reti mo te 4 paihaneti itareti mehemea ranei kaore aua whenua i te riihi i runga i te wariu a Te Kawanatanga. Me utu e Te Kaitiaki Maori te moni mo aua paanga maramara ki te hunga no ratou aua whenua a e rite ana taua moni utu ki te katoa o te moni reti mo te 25 tau. Ka mutu te paanga atu o te hunga no ratou aua paanga maramara ki te whenua ki nga moni reti ranei engari i roto o te 25 tau, ana hoki te moni a Te Kaitiaki Maori apiti atu ki tetahi koata atu ano o taua moni pera me ta te Ture Mo Nga Whenua Rahui 1955 i whakarite ai e ahei ana taua hunga o ratou uri ranei ki te whai wahi ki nga moni hua o aua whenua mo nga whakaaro e pa ana ki nga mate me era atu ahuatanga. E kore e ahei Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te hoko noa i aua paanga. (i) KO TE WHAKAMONI I NGA PAANGA MARAMARA I RUNGA I TE WHAKAAE E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te tango i nga paanga maramara kei nga whenua rahui i runga i te whakaae a te hunga no ratou aua paanga hei pupuri mana i runga i te kaupapa kua whakamaramatia ake nei. (ii) KO TE WHAKAMONI O NGA PAANGA MARAMARA I RUNGA I TE WHAKATAU A TE KOOTI. E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te tono ki Te Kooti Whenua Maori kia whakataua ki a ia i runga i te kaupapa whakamoni nga paanga maramara kei nga whenua rahui hei pupuri mana i runga i te kaupapa kua whakamaramaratia ake nei. (iii) KO TE WHAKAMONI I NGA PAANGA MARAMARAI NGA WHENUA RAHUI I RARO I TE KAUPAPA KAIRIIWHI PAANGA TUPAPAKU. E ahei ana Te Kaitiaki Maori ki te tango i raro i te kaupapa whakamoni i te katoa o nga paanga maramara, o te hunga kua tupapakutia, kei nga whenua rahui. Otira kei Te Kaitiaki Maori ano te tikanga he wa ka tango ia i te katoa o aua paanga, he wa ka tango ia ko nga paanga anake ki nga whenua rahui e whakaaro nui ana ia ki te whakatikatika. Kaore he taake i runga o nga whenua e hokona ana i raro o te kaupapa whakamoni. Tera ano nga ahuatanga e ahei ai Te Kitiaki Maori ki te tuku moni i runga i te mokete hei awhina i etahi o te hunga kei nga poraka whenua ki te tango mai i nga paanga maramara o etahi atu hei whakamama i nga whakatikatika taitara. Where the land is leased, by capitalisation of rent at 4%; Where the land is not leased, by reference to the current Government valuation. In all such cases the Maori Truste is bound to pay the value of the interest to the beneficiary who thus receives in purchase money the equivalent of 25 years' rent in a lump sum. The beneficiary in return for this loses the interest and the right to future rents, but in about one generation's time (when the Maori Trustee has recouped himself for the price paid plus one quarter of it, as is provided in relevant statute, the Maori Reserved Land Act. 1955, he and his descendats have a right to claim on a general fund derived from revenues, for social, physical, moral and pecuniary purposes. No interest so acquired by the Maori Trustee may be sold. (i) Conversion of reserved land interests by agreement The Maori Trustee may at any time purchase from the Conversion Fund any interest in Maori reserved land by private agreement with the owner and will thereupon hold such interest for the purpose just described. (ii) Conversion of uneconomic reserved land interests by application to Court It is competent for the Maori Trustee to apply to the Court at any time for an order vesting all or any uneconomic interests in reserved land in him by way of purchase. From the making of such order he will then hold such interest for the same purposes as are described above. (iii) Conversion of uneconomic reserved land interests on succession The Maori Trustee is unless he declines to accept such interests entitled to have all uneconomic interests in Maori reserved land vested by the Court in him on succession. In practice the Maori Trustee declines such vesting in all reserves other than those on which he is concentrating, for the time being, his efforts to acquire all the uneconomic interests. It is relevant to mention that no stamp duty is payable on vesting orders covering land interests purchased or sold under the conversion procedure. In certain circumstances, the Maori Trustee is prepared to lend moneys to enable co-owners to buy converted shares in freehold land from him, or to facilitate family arrangements which I intend to describe in my next article.