NATIVE LANDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3995, 30 July 1915, Page 3

NATIVE LANDS.

NORTH ISLAND PURCHASES. j ALLECED SPEGU LATiOtN. 1 QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT. By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. WELL!NOTON, J uiy 29. Tlie Minister for Native Affairs (I [oh \Y. 11. Herries) was asked in tin) House hy Sir Joseph Ward yesterday afternoon whether he could give any information as to the area, of land tliat had been purchased from Natives in the North Island during the past war, and which was now being hold for speculative purposes. ' He saitl that when he was in the Auckland district recently one place had been pointed out to him where there , was a largo area of Native land —over j in.ooo acres at least—which, he was , told, had been purchased from the Natives and was being held for spo u- , lat-Lve purposes. Some of the people who spoke to him on the subject- complained that, they had not a ghost of a chance of obtaining any portion of this land foe settlement, except at an , enhanced price, the burden of which would be like n. millstone round their nooks for years. He had been assured by a very reliable man that there were several instances of the nature that he had indicated, it- should be possible for the Government to give a return showing the areas purchased. the names of the purchasers, and the portion that was available for settlement- purposes. Mr Herries said that he did not know of any large block that had been purchased contrary to law during the time that he had boon in office. AH the transactions referred to hy the Leader of the Opposition had taken place under the Act of 1909, which had been passed hy the lit. Hon. gentleman’s own Government. Sir Joseph Ward: IX) not put iton. to me—{laughter). Mr Herries: AVVii, I have not altered the law‘in favor of the speculators. On the contrary, l have rather drawn, the mesh closer b.v increasing the power of the State and limiting that of the individual in the purchase of Native lands. The limitation of area, he added, was invariably insisicd upon by the Maori Land Boards, which were more competent now that they were composed of the Native Land Oourt judges. Every transaction had been carried out- strictly according to the Act. After the transactions took place, the matter passed out of the hands of the Native I .and Dopsu tment. The Minister for Lands if he saw hdv land lying idle, could take it under the Lands for Settlement. ActSo far. the Department had been able to make very large pur' liases ot Native lands. Ihe r v>- ’ pniK?i|H« ben.g to buy wUehues were likely to be eon*'.• :M,S l! ' < been done in Hawke's ' ;y, Poverty jt'iivy, and tl»<* Hay ot‘ PK iivy <»isiri(*ts. Tin; total areas purchased i'.niO'.intOU tn 9(1.000 acres and a further area ot UtiO.OOn acres was under negotiation. No far ns he knew, no land was being jfyidd i-ix-culativo pur'posf’.s-