Ko nga whenua noho noaiho o te Maori

Ka nui te amuamu i te whakarereketanga a te Wahanga III o Te Ture Mo Nga Mea Maori, 1950, i te ture e pa ana ki nga whenua noho noaiho o te Maori. Kei Te Ao Hou etahi whakamarama o te aronga o taua ture hou.

Ka maha nga tau e whai mana ana te Kooti Whenua Maori (i raro o Tekiona 540 o Te Ture Whenua Maori, 1931) ki te whakatu i te Kai-tieki Maori hei Kai-whakahaere mo nga tangata whai paanga whenua Maori mo nga mahi riihi hoko ranei mehemea ra e marama ana enei ahuatanga e whai ake nei ki te Kooti:—

(a)	Kaore aua whenua i te noho riihi i te whakamahia ranei kei te ngaro ranei i nga taru kikino.
(b)	Kaore ranei e kitea nga tangata no ratou aua whenua.
(c)	Ko nga tangata ranei no ratou aua whenua kei raro i nga ahuatanga e tika ana kia whakahaerea taua ture.

Me ata marama hoki te Kooti ko te tuku ke i te mana noko o aua whenua te mea tika.

Na Wahanga III o Te Ture Mo Nga Mea Maori, 1950, i whakawhanui ake ano nga mana o te Kooti e taea ai te whakatau tetahi ota mo nga take e whai ake nei:—

(a)	Kei te noho noa iho aua whenua.
(b)	Kaore i te ngakia nga taru kikino o aua whenua.
(c)	Kua utaina nga reiti kaore ano i ea hei taumahatanga ki runga i aua whenua.
(d)	Kaore te hunga whai paanga i te aro ki te mahi tika i aua whenua hei oranga mo ratou a kia matareka.ai ki te tangata.
(e)	Kaore e kitea te hunga whai paanga ki aua whenua.

Ko nga tino rereketanga o te ture tawhito me te ture hou ko nga ahuatanga i waihangatia hei tieki i te hunga whai paanga. Kaore he whakaritenga a Tekiona 540 o Te Ture o 1931 me matua tono ki te hunga whai paanga mehemea e pirangi ana ratou ki te riihi i aua whenua a kaore hoki i whakaritea kia utua a runga o nga moni reti. I raro hoki o taua tekiona e whakaaetia ana te hoko o aua whenua.

I raro o te Ture o 1950, ana tu te Kaitieki Maori hei kaiwhakahaere mo te hunga whai paanga ka tonoa taua hunga kia tangohia te riihi o aua whenua a ko te tangata o

 

Unproductive
Maori Land

Changes made in the law relating to unproductive Maori land in Part III of the Maori Purposes Act, 1950, have aroused a good deal of discussion. Te Ao Hou has obtained an authoritative explanation of the more important features of the new legislation.

For many years the Court has had power (under Section 540 of the Maori Land Act, 1931) to appoint the Maori Trustee agent for the owners of Maori land for the purposes of leasing or selling the land in cases where the Court was satisfied:

(a)	That the land was unleased and unoccupied and was not kept clear of noxious weeds, or
(b)	That any beneficial owner could not be found, or
(c)	That any owner was in a position which rendered it necessary or advisable that his land should be dealt with under the section referred to.

The Court had also to be satisfied that it was in the interest of the owner or the public interest that the land should be alienated.

Part III of the Maori Purposes Act, 1950, has widened the power of the Court by enabling it to make an order on any of the following grounds:

(a)	That the land is unoccupied.
(b)	That the land is not kept properly cleared of noxious weeds.
(c)	That charging orders for unpaid rates have been made in respect of the land.
(d)	That the owners have neglected to farm and manage the land diligently and that the land is not being used to its best advantage in the interests of the owners and in the public interest.
(e)	That any beneficial owner cannot be found.

The important differences between the old law and the new are the provisions made for the protection of the owners. Section 540 of the 1931 Act did not provide for owners to have the first opportunity of leasing the land, nor did it make any provision to ensure that the best possible rent was obtained. Under that section, too, the land could be sold.

Under the 1950 legislation, when the Maori Trustee is appointed agent for the owners he will normally give the owners an

 

 

tua hunga e whakaaro ka taea e ia te mahi aua whenua ka tono ia mo taua riihi.

Mehemea ra kaore he tangata o te hunga whai paanga e manako ki aua whenua me tuku e te Kai-tieki Maori taua riihi mo te moni tika ki te tangata tika a me matua tono te wariu a Te Kawanatanga mo aua whenua. Ko raro o te moni riihi ko te moni e rite ana ki te rima paihaneti o te wariu kore whakapainga e mau ra i te wariutanga a te Kawanatanga a ma te Kaitango riihi e utu te wariu o nga whakapainga i te wa i tangohia ai taua riihi. Ana pau taua riihi e tika ana me utu ki te Kai-tango riihi te toru koata o te wariu o nga whakapainga ina ra i runga ano i te whakaaetanga i roto o taua riihi mehemea e pera ana. He mea pai tenei kia ata mau ai te kai-tango riihi i nga taiapa, me nga whare me era atu whakapainga.

Mehemea kaore he tono mo te riihi o aua whenua kei te Kai-tieki Maori te tikanga o te tuku i aua whenua.

Ko nga whenua kei te mahia ahu whenuatia ka rithitia mo nga tau e 21, i muri o enei tau ka tangohia te mana noho e te Kaitieki Maori ka hoatu ki nga ariki no ratou he whenua, tera ranei ka riihitia atu ano ki te kaitango riihi mo nga tau e 21 i tua atu engari i te wa e haere te 21 tau tuarua ka ahei te kaitieki Maori ki te whakamutu i te riihi i muri o te ono marama o te whakaaturanga a-reta ki te kaitango riihi o tana hiahia ki te whakamutu.

Ko nga whenua, e taka ki raro i tenei ture kaore e taea te hoko, mehemea tera e

 

 

opportunity to apply for a lease of the land. Any owner who feels he is capable of farming the land properly may apply for a lease.

If there are no owners capable of farming the land successfully the Maori Trustee must then advertise the land for lease by public tender, having first obtained a special Government valuation. The minimum rent for the purpose of tenders is fixed at 5% of the unimproved value as shown in the special valuation and the lessee must pay the full value of any improvements on the land at the time of the lease. At the end of the term of the lease the lessee will, in most cases, be entitled to three-quarters of the value of the improvements still on the land. This will encourage lessees to keep the fences, buildings and other improvements in good order and condition.

If no tenders for lease are received the Maori Trustee may then lease the land on such terms and conditions as he thinks fit.

Leases of farm land will be for a term of 21 years, the Maori Trustee may regain possession and the land be taken over by the owners. The Maori Trustee may also allow the lessee to carry on for a further 21 years, but during this period the Maori Trustee

 

 

taea te mahi kia whaihua i runga i te mahi ahu whenua.

Mehemea i whakaritea e te riihi me utu kapenehaihana mo nga whakapainga me pupuri e te Kai-Tieki Maori te hawhe o nga moni reti, haunga ia nga moni komihana me etahi atu taumahatanga, ka whakaputu haere hei utu i nga kapenehaihana a te paunga o taua riihi.

Ko te whakarapopototanga, ko te ture o 1950 he whakahounga noa i nga ture o nga tau kua taha engari ko nga mea nui ko te aruaru haere i nga mahi takahi i te hunga whai paanga me te mana motuhake hoki o aua whenua.

Ko te mea nui o te ture hou nei e awangawanga nuitia ana e te Maori ka riro o ratou whenua i te tangata ke. He tika ra tera engari ki te kore e peneitia ka takoto noa aua whenua i te wa kei te hamama nga waha o nga iwi o te ao i te mate kai. Ko te whakaaro o te Kawanatanga me mahi nga mahi ahuwhenua ki nga wahi e tika ana.

 

may terminate the lease at any time on giving six months' notice.

Land brought under this Act cannot be sold, if capable of profitable use as a farm.

Where the lease provides for compensation, for improvements the Maori Trustee must retain half of the rent, after deducting proper charges and commission, into a sinking fund to provide moneys to pay the compensation at the end of the lease.

To sum up, the legislation of 1950 is merely an extension of previous legislation, but with far greater safeguards for the protection of the interests of the owners and their freehold title to the land.

From the point of view of many owners the unpleasant feature of the legislation is the fact that the land may pass out of their control. Undoubtedly this danger exists, but the alternative would be that the land should be idle while there is a pressing need for food all over the world. The Government takes the view that food should be grown wherever possible.