REVERSED!

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 12

REVERSED!

JUDGMENT OF HISTORY.

CONFISCATED MAORI LANDS.

GOVERNMENT SYMPATIIETI(

WISH TO WIPE OUT DIFFICULTIES

(By Telegraph.-—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON", Friday

The hope that long standing grievances of the native race in both Islands will be solved by plans now in process of evolution, was expressed by the- Prime Minister, and the Hon. Sir Apirama Ngata (Eastern Maori Member) when the report of the Confiscated Native Lands Commission was presented to Parliament to-dav.

Sir Apirama Ngata reminded the House that this inquiry commenced two years ago, and the Commission was five or six montlis making its investigations and presenting the report, which the Prime Minister was only now making public. It required not a little consideration, and a good deal of courage to accede to the requests of the natives that their long standing grievances should lie inquired into.

Speaking particularly of the Waitara natives' grievances, .Sir Apirama declared it was a pity tbat the authorities of that day did not comply with their request for investigation, because their refusal started a fire which spread into other districts, and led to wars which cost this country something over ten millions sterling. It was the Waitara grievance which started the Tarau .

war, and the troubles which took place in the Bay of Plenty, for the natives practically turned their backs on civilisation. It was the treatment of the W'aikato natives which led to the practical reservation from the process of law in the King Country. The native chiefs determined that the Native Land Court should not deal with titles in that area, and a generation elapsed before the lourt was admitted. Bar of Public Opinion. Failing in tlieir effort to get justice from the .New Zealand Government, the vVaikato people approached the King, and the British Government, but the latter took the view that the so-called rebels should be dealt with leniently. He could not help feeling that .the motivfe which actuated tUe New Zealand authorities at that time was not so much punishment or tho natives as the desife co utilise the rebellion to acquire native lands for European settlement. In making the confiscations injustices were done to loyal natives, and those who took very little part in the movement. The case was now before the bar of public opinion, and he hoped that, as the result of the different attitude adopted towards the Maori of to-day, the decision would be more just. In attempting to co-o* ilinate Maori effort along progressive lines, the young Maoris were hampered by the long standing grievances which stood in the way of the progress of the largest Maori tribe in the North Island including some of the best human material of the race. No Return of Lands.

"It would be difficult to remedy the grievances by any return of lauds," continued Sir Apirama. "1 do not think the Maoris are seriously asking that there should be returned to them any large areas, much less any areas held by the pakeha. But they do ask that you recognise that they have a grievance, and hat an honest attempt be made to remedy it."

The Commission recommended thar •>ertain annual donations be approved bv Parliament on the lines of the payments the Arawu Trust, but Sir Apirama • joped his hearers would get out of their

minds any idea that the Maoris were sponging on the community. In payment of direct and Indirect taxation, the Maori people ranked with the very large proportion of the pakeha as contributors to the Consolidated Fund, and when it came to direct taxation, though there were exceptions mace in respect to the 3.000,000 acres held by the Maori people, tliey did contribute to the land tax which was taken out of leases by the various Maori land boards. The pro posed annual grants would constitute a fund to be used for public purposes foi the benefit of the natives, and the operation of the Arawa Trust showed what was already being done in that respect. The revenue was applied to education, health matters and giving assistance to the Maoris to utilise their own lands. The Waikato Problem. The speaker stressed the opinion that if the Waikato people felt that an honest effort was being made to eolve their difficulties, and that the annual fund was a guarantee of that sympathetic treatment, and it 'wjas administered bv a board representative of those people who were still federated under a so-cai-led JJaori ting, they would turn their faces forward just as definitely as they turned their bacKs on civilisation sixty years ago. If it meant the expenditure of £250,000, it would be a small itein com pared with the psychological conversion of the Maori people. He did not know whether the Government, in the present state of finances, could do anything with the report, but his own opinion was that the Commission had been cautious for it was reversing the judgment oi history. He hoped that the Government would be more generous in its assessment. It would be advisable to dela> somewhat in carrying out the recommendations, so that public, opinion could understand and applaud the spirit behind it. . Wiping Out Past Difficulties. The Prime Minister remarked that he did not think the previous speaker had painted the picture to any undue extent. The arrangements complained of were made by a people possessing a different psychology from the Europeans of to-day.

Mr. P. Eraser (Wellington Central): I am told there was a cojisideralbe section who objected to those days!

The Prime Minister: There were some. You must realise that the Maori him self has made a tremendous advance. Nor was lie in those days capable of realising the points at issue.

The Prime Minister went on to point out that in dealing with the whole pro blem there was a sum of £300,000 involved in the South Island, and an annual expenditure indicated in the present report of, say, £10,000. If any of his bearers were the Minister of Finano they would realise the difficulties. Men tion had been made of the Government Trant of £100,000 towards the National Museum, but the difference here was that one grant finished it. Mr. H. E. Holland: Could not a nn 1 settlement be made? The Prime Minister: Yes, if it is possible to get finality it is desirable, ind we are enrteavourfnsr to get some scheme which win work itself out. Fellow Citizens. He agreed with Sir Apirand Is'gata that in the Maori tribes there was fine human material, with a mental equipment equal to that of any race in the wide world. It was the pakeha's responsibility to see that this material was used to the best possible advantage along the lines of progress. This waV the policy of the .Government, and it* objective was to get a sound solution. The Maori was fair-minded, and could see both sides of a question, but while there was underlying discontent there would be no progress. An increase in Maori population of 10,000 in ten yeaYs was clear indication that the race wa* not dving out, and tho attitude nf t'v New Zcalander towards the Maori wa = that he was proud to recoenise him a« a fellow C'+'-ren of the Emnire. The Practical Point.-

As for the practical point, continued the Prime Minister, ti*3 Government would place an amount on the Supplementary Estimates, not much, but sufficient to propound a scheme to give effect to the Commission's recommendation*. It might be l necessary fo alter the recommendations in certain cases, and if was lint possible within two or thret months to come to a linal conclusion as to how the administration should be carried out. "It seemed desirable that a number oi the VVaikato sub-tribes should have a certain amount of land at the' disposal, for they had no real kianga to go to. They travelled fro*! one end of the Country to the other. They had no real home where they could get toother as a peonlo. He realised all this, and had sent a letter to the Minister re-

presenting the native race in the Cabinet, pointing out that it was the Govern ment's intention to approach the matter sympathetically, with the object, if possible, of wiping out all past difficulties, and bitternesses, which existed among the Waikato people. So far as the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki people were concerned, their treatment had been a good deal better, though there might be differences of opinion as to whether the right thing had been done. On the other hand, their country was much better and they had fended better than the Waikatos. It might be necessary to have a further investigation to clear up a' number of long-standing troubles in "ie North Auckland district, which troubled many of the older natives.

The report was received