NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 5

NATIVE LANDS.

NOTES BY.,A DWELLER IN THE WILDERNESS. (Contributed.) The native land problem has been brought under the prominent notice' of the .public more forcibly than ever during the last twelvo months, and it is now becoming a question of much monient. There appears to bo rather an erroneous idea that the majority of the pakehas, who enter into negotiations with the Maoris for a lease of'their surplus lands, are nothing moro or less than a lot of land sharks, instead of being bona lido settlers who are only anxious to get land to farm,' without having to await their chance, at.the-"land-ballot,"-'which, it is possible to follow up for' years and then not be successful in drawing; a section. According to the report of the last ballot held at Opitiki there were, over two thousand applicants, so that the chances of drawing a section wore on about .a par with drawing a prize in Tattersall's sweep. ; Is it to be wondered at that many prefer to try and obtain a nativo lease, although there, are so many difficulties'-in-'the way, .and which difficulties have . not been lessened by tho attitude the Government : has, assumed in the past. Certainly, there ' are Judges . and Land-Boards appointed to-'deal with all such leases, ,but some of them seem to place us many obstacles in'the way. as possible, and they throw out leases o> the-most trivial technicalities so as to make it' almost appear that the Government is doing all it»can in a quiet way to. block the natives leasing until isuch;time as the Government are themselves in a position to purchase the land. Unsatisfactory Laws,. The existing-native lajid laws arc most unsatisfactory both. to Maori and- pakeha', and the question has been played with by . successive ' Administrations ' until the present laws are weird and, incomprelicnsibki. Amondmcnt -after—amendment--- has been' added to the .Statute Book, each one making tho matter still more involved, as one instance alone will suffice to. show. After the restrictions had been removed from leasing in ,1905 and extending to fifty years', the maximum, term for, which native lands conld be leased, it was generally ■ understood that the interests of .minors could .bo dealt with in the same, manner as. those; of adults, but this .was , not. tlie- caso. ; -Under. Section- 5. of the "Maori Real Estajte ; jManagement Act, 1888," it empowered a trustee, to leaso the interest of a minor provided that a Judge of the. Native Land Court endorsed oi; the lease a minute of his approval .of its terms; that the lease (unless it were a building lease) should not be for. a term exceeding twoiitvono years, and should have 110 provision far a renewal. To got. oyer the difficulty. an amendment was made,-: Section 2 "Maori Land Settlement Act, 1906," stating that Section 5 of th.i- "Maori Real * Estate Management Act, 1888," shall not apply to leases approved by the Board" under the said Act or this -Act, arid it -is'now., doubtful whether this; does not' take away from trustees tho power of leasing for the limited term befpre ■ result-of this the District Land" Registrar has refusid to register some; of the loases owing to the/presence in the title of minors, which makes the position manifestly "urifair'fpr'airthoso' who" Wok up leases and w;er'e. not- awalre/of this defectin the Act. ' Legislation i? -now required to rectify this, and to be; of/any value to those whom • at. present,hold ,'such unregistered leases the.,amendment must be made retrospective. : The Maori of To-day. One ; would imagine to- hear . people' talk that tho Maori of to-day is.-'a.-poor,- ignorant wretch,- who knows' neither the value of money :,nori ,of -land.' • But such is-far from being ,tho.-:case.' As a. matter-of fact, it is very much to the contrary, and anyboily who desires to-..get .to windward : of' the poor , deluded native has to got'up very early in'the morning. The Maori is ijuite as capable as the pakeha of looking after-his own interest, and oiily desires to ■ be'■ placed on an equal footing with, the colonists,, arid to be allowed to doal with his own-as'lie thinks lit. Although the natives hold largo,tracts of.land, they arc not in a position to do anything with them oiling to their lack of capital and largely through want of application. To rnriicdy the former. waiit,"thoy should bo allowed to dispose of their surplus lands, and they would then be in a.position-to work and stock whatever areas thoy may elect tp retain. There are areas of land tjtill to . bo surveyed;, and individualised, and this also helps to keep many thousands of acres lying idle. The cry is. always being raised that the Maori will pquandcr the purchase money for his lands'as sonu as it is received. Well, what if he does? He is no worse off. than riiany white ■ people: who foolislifly do the same thing. .They , are looked down upon as fools, so why should the Maori be especially protected in this.respect any more than the pakeha. Those of'either race who squander their money, are not deserving of any sympathy, and deserve to work, like the vast majority of irihrikind for a living. ; Inconsistencies. / ;'. , There is yet another point -worthy of notice, and it is thus: ' In .every case where a nativo leases his-.la.hd fifty acres have to be set apart for a papakaianga, which area is rarely if I ever utilised;-' Although great care is taken- to see that this area-is set apart in-every caso of lease, yet the Government appears to purchase all the land the natives may have' tor sale without ever making enquiries as to. whether they have sufficient other lands for-a papakaianga.- Does not .this seem a farce, in view;of the fact that so much-stress is laid on tho statement; that no lease will be granted by the Nativo Land Boards unless 'tliero is sufficient land for the papakaianga?..

• The Maoris are put on an equal footing with the pakehas in the matter of old-age pensions, etc., ; and yet are exempt from taxes on their ■ land; "and where, as in many instances, particularly in the King Country, tlltire are. miles" oft'roads through native lands, which enhances 'the- value of these lands, the, burden*of the taxation falls on the settler'for the tipkeejj of these roads, which is surely an injustice. Whoever heard of a Maori being fined for failing;to keep his property clear: of r/ibbits and noxious weeds? And, (is a result, native areas are a hot-bed for breeding these pests, to the menace of tho white settlers in. the district.- Tho public, particularly thoso who live in a Maori district, ' have long ago: becomi} weary of this absurd distinction between' Maori and pakeha, and it is high time that a progressive step should be'taken in tlio matter of reform by/'.tho..Government, even if it does feel apathotip 'in the matter! Aftpr all, is it not for . tho bonefit, of the Dominion as a whole that thoso vast areas of waste lands should he- settled and made reproductive, especially in view of thejact that there are thousands of people seeking for land? The Real Question. .Tho whole question rosolves itself into this: That -either* the, Jlaori should bo allowed to sell and lease his' own land, or else the Government should purchase it and got the waste areas settled and mado reproductive ■ before purchasing" improved , estates which!- aro already so. , Tho proposed graduated land;, tax and the. high values now ruling .for property will in tlic.iisolvos bring about' the gradual breaking up of, those large' estates. It seems . rather paradoxical that whilst these large estates hold by settlers, are being; taken, from' them and cut up, everything possible is being done to foster a Maori landlordism to the detriment of the-white'population of the future. The native land laws at present in force are doing, more to kill; off the Maori population than anvthing else/. ' Take away all their surplus lands and mako them work for i, living, and this will'hayo thn'effect of breaking up the communism which;is tho cursoof the .Maoris' life of to-day. Tho final report and recommendations. .of . the Commission which is enquiring' into tho native land problem will be looked for eagerly by thousands of'both pakehas and Maoris, arid, in the .interests of all concerned it is to bo trusted that something practical may be' arrived at as to'tlio best- mariner 'of dealing with these unproductive areas. The . question of sentiment should not be,allowed to stand ill the way for one.moment: in the- matter of d>.viaing means for 'overcoming; the difficulty.