Statement Relative to Land Purchases, North Island.

I consider it due to the House that a statement should be made by me in reference to the expenditure of moneys authorized under the Immigration and Public Works Acts, 1870 and 1873, for the purchase of Native lands in the North Island. I think this has become necessary, as I am aware that much has been said during the recess calculated to lead to the belief that sufficient care had not been taken to guard the public interests. I hope to be able to disabuse the minds of honorable members if they entertain such ideas, and to show that the Government have at great disadvantage endeavoured faithfully to carry out the views of the House, and have succeeded as well as could be reasonably expected.

When it was decided by the General Assembly that a public estate should be acquired in the North Island for the purposes of colonization, the difficulties which had to be encountered were of no ordinary character.

From the year 1840 to 1862 the task of acquiring land from the aborigines was not so difficult, the Crown having the exclusive right of purchase. The Constitution, Act maintained the right of pre-emption; but, through the action of this House, the Crown abrogated this provision of the Constitution, relinquished its right of pre-emption, and passed a law throwing open lands held by the Natives to private purchasers. Capitalists were not slow to avail themselves of the wide field thus opened out to them of profitably investing their money, and from time to time valuable tracts of country were obtained by them.

Able agents, many of them formerly officers of the Native Department, were employed. They were to be found in every district buying up the very choicest portions of the country, and year by year, through their operations, the carrying out of any large colonial scheme of land purchase was rendered more and more difficult.

In the year 1870 the Immigation and Public Works policy rendered it necessary that large tracts of country should be acquired for settlement. Accordingly the General Assembly voted first a sum of £200,000, and then a further sum of £500,000, to acquire land from the Natives. Iu undertaking this task the Government found itself with scarcely any officers of experience to carry out the delicate work of land-purchase negotiations. Men of ability were in the employ of the Government, but, with few exceptions, they were unacquainted with this peculiar duty, and could not therefore cope successfully with the experienced agents in the employ of capitalists to be met with in all parts of the Island. It must be remembered that lands which had passed through the Native Land Court were open to all alike—there was no exception in favour of the Government. A slight advantage only was gained by the colony under the provisions of the Immigration and Public Works Acts over lands which had not been adjudicated upon, which gave the Government protection for two years.

It was found expedient to make terms with the most active and successful of these agents, and offer them inducements to enter the Government service. Without their co-operation it was almost hopeless to carry out to a successful issue the objects this House had in view when it placed at the Government's disposal such large sums of money.

Even with the assistance of these gentlemen, I have only to refer honorable members to the reports of the land purchase officers and agents laid on the table of the House to show that the difficulties which had to be encountered were of no ordinary kind, and yet the results are, I submit, on the whole very favourable to the country.

It should also be remembered that the peaceful aspect of Native affairs in the North Island has tended to advance the settlement of the country, and has increased the demand for land by capitalists from the South Island and the Australian Colonies. In 1873 unimproved land could be purchased in the Waikato for prices not exceeding ten shillings per acre; the same lands cannot now be purchased under from one to two pounds per acre. Such has been the competition for land that the agents for private parties have gone into districts proclaimed under the Immigration and Public Works Act, and have purchased choice blocks at a higher rate than the Government were offering, with the full knowledge that they had no chance of obtaining a title during the currency of the Proclamation, but trusting to make their claims good, when it should lapse.

I need not take up the time of the House by enlarging on this subject, but I have said enough to convince honorable members that, in acquiring the estate which has been secured, we have had much to contend against from the competition of our own countrymen, to say nothing of the trouble and anxiety of dealing with a race so proverbially jealous and tenacious of their land as the Natives.

With these preliminary remarks, I will now give a statement of the operations respecting the purchase of lands up to the end of the past financial year.

The land-purchase operations north of Auckland have been carried on by Mr. White, R.M., Mangonui, Mr. Kemp, Civil Commissioner, Auckland, Lieut.-Colonel McDonnell, Mr. Brissenden and Mr. Preece.

A return presented to Parliament last year, by command of His Excellency the Governor, showed that in the

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Hokianga District—the Government had acquired by purchase 2 blocks of land, containing 11,086 acres, at acost of ?1,904 5s. 7d., or 3s. 5¼d. per acre; in the

Bay of Islands District—4 blocks of land, containing 28,999 acres, at a cost of ?2,965 12s., or 2s. 0¾d. per acre; and in the

Kaipara District— 6 blocks of land, containing 29,018 acres at a cost of ?2,633 19s. 6d., or 1s. 9¾d. per acre—making altogether 69,103 acres, and costing ?7,503 17s. 1d., the average price being 2s. 2d. per acre.

This cost includes surveys and all incidental expenses.

The return also shows that negotiations had been entered into for the further purchase of 20 blocks of land, the area of which was estimated at 248,490 acres. The amount paid on these 20 blocks was £1,207 10s.

These transactions will be more easily read in the following tabular form:—

District.	Transactions Completed.				Transactions Incomplete.
	No. of Blocks.	Area.	Total Cost.			Price per Acre.	No. of Blocks.	Area.	Amount Paid.						£	s.	d.				£	s.	d.
Hokianga	2	11,086	1,904	5	7	3/5¼	4	57,190	448	1	6
Bay of Islands	4	28,999	2,965	12	0	2/0¾	5	78,300	21	17	6
Kaipara	6	29,018	2,633	19	6	1/9¾	6	43,000	481	0	0
Mangonui					3	62,000	256	11	0
Whangarei					2	8,000
	12	*69,103	7,503	17	1	2/2	20	248,490	1,207	10	0

The total area of land purchased during the year, North of Auckland, has been 221,565 acres; and the amount paid, including surveys and incidental expenses, ?21,569 5s. 11d., being 1s. 11¼d. per acre.

• The incomplete negotiations of land purchases during the past year in the above districts may be classed,—
  • 1st. Lands that have passed the Native Land Court, the transactions for acquiring which are nearly complete.
  • 2nd. Lands surveyed, and awaiting sittings of Land Court at Kaihu, fixed for 11th August
  • 3rd. Lands under survey, and intended to be brought before the Land Court in September next.
  • 4th. Lands, the surveys of which have not yet been commenced.

Of the lands that have passed the Native Land Court, 10,406 acres are in the Mangonui District; 5,200 acres in the Bay of Islands District; 6,942 acres in the Hokianga District; and 82,313 acres in the Kaipara District—a total of 104,861 acres, and on which moneys amounting to £2,150 15s 10d. have been paid. A sum of £6,075 4s. 9d. is required to complete these purchases. I know of no reason why these lands should not be acquired within the next month or two.

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The lands surveyed and awaiting the sittings of the Land Court at Kaihu, on the 11th of August, represent 14 block, having an area of 116,601 acres, and on which advances have been made to the amount of £3,996 16s. 10d. The lands are situate in Mangonui District, 11,906 acres; Bay of Islands District, 23,974 acres; Hokianga District, 45,421 acres; and Kaipara District, 35,300 acres.

The lands—11 blocks—now under survey by the Inspector of Survey's Department, Auckland, are estimated to contain 31,000 acres. Advances have been paid on these lands amounting to £1,092 3s. 2d. The lands are situate in the Mangonui District, 17,500 acres; Bay of Islands District, 6,500 acres; Hokianga District, 3,000 acres; and Whangarei District, 4,000 acres.

The lands awaiting survey, are 13 blocks in the Bay of Islands, Hokianga, and Whangarei Districts, the estimated area being 110,800 acres. No price has yet been fixed for these lands. Advances to the amount of £636 2s. have been made to the Natives interested in them.

The following form shows the transactions in the several districts North of Auckland, during the past year:—

District.	Land acquired during past Year.				Land at present under Negotiation of Purchase
	No. of Blocks	Acreage.	Total Cost.			Price per Acre.		No of Blocks	Acreage.	Amount Advanced.
			£	s.	d.	s.	d.			£	s.	d.
Mangonui	2	28,527	3,728	18	3	2	7½	9	39,812	1,007	16	10
Bay of Islands								17	59,974	1,466	1	4
Hokianga	34	131,097	11,765	13	2	1	9½	13	56,163	1,744	6	9
Kaipara								6	117,613	3,517	12	11
Whangarei	3	61,941	6,074	14	6	1	11½	1	4,000	140	0	0
Totals	39	221,565	21,569	5	11	1	11½	46	*277,562	7,875	17	10