MAORI LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 521, 31 May 1909, Page 6

MAORI LANDS.

CONFERENCE AT TAUPO. • RESULTS OF DELIBERATIONS. ' Tho. results of a largely-attended..Native conference, hold on April 14 in the Taupo district, , concerning ''Native land questions and Native game.are now available for publication. Those who took part in the conference wore , principally members of the NgatiTuwharetoa tribe. This tribo owns clqso on .1,000;000 acrcs in vthe Taupo district^ 1 consisting partly of timber, country and partly of open maiden land. Tho feeling of the conference was that existing. Native land laws aro' .uitsatisfactory.-from many . points of view, and militate' against the opening of Nativei lands for -settlement. , Tho following are the resolutions adopted at the mooting, and moans will shortly bo taken :to place them before the GovernmentJ

Affecting Ngatl-Tuwharotoa Only. ,1. 'That investigations be mado in .reference lakei. within . .the tribal confines ,of "Ngati-Tuwharetoa, l as to whether such lakes are still owned or controlled; by tho Maoris, or. whether 1 the t Crown has .. acquired such owneVsKpior-'control.'- In consideration of the ;fact^.that, suoh. investigations are now .bemg; ; by,..tho Arawa' tribe in reference to. tho., lakes and rivers within the I thermal' springs region, 'it is right that the proceedings in with this' matter be left'to the discretion of the Arawa. people, but ; that, assistance, bo" rendered by . NgatiTuwharetoa, ' Such assistance shall be given by means of moneys collected, as, NgatiTuivharetoa. deeni?. for tho. purpose of'aiding Te Airawa's caie. . j • .Tho lands ' of Ngati-whiti; and of ,Ngati-Tama, are, at tho present tiliio, within; r 'tho boundaries of the Maniapoto-Tuwharcfoa Maori Laiid District. These tribes desiro that their lands bo cut off and constituted-a separate district, and that a board be appointed tb 'administer the lauds therein, ' 3..That tho Government be informed that Europeans 'aro trespassing on the lands of f hls . district .prospecting for gold, and that it;,is .desirable that this bo prohibited, as the, district, has not yet been gazetted under the provisions of tho Mining Act.

Affecting tho V/hole Maori People. 1. It has been seen that there are vast numbers of laws designed to meet' the wishes of the various sections of tho Maori people, but nevertheless there, are several minor provisions .that; should. bo amended.' ; •.' ; 2.'.The. Acts ;at,. present'in foroe .should be consolidated and placed in one main Act, so that the Maori, people may be perfectly clear as to the provisions of the said Acts. . 3.; When the-consolidation is being made certain amendments could be .effected wherobv the provisions of the law might be so altered that-the present wishes of the Maori people be met,, and that tho '.new idoas that have ;sprung. up amongst them be' 1 given expression. ;r : ;.

, (a.) Native Land Court Laws: ; :; ~ 1. 'In the mattor 'of deceased persons' suocpssors :—The term: "next of kin" should be ngidly defined and ; restricted, ■or in the alternative the Court should'assume"unsd'ction to divide the .estate of any deceased person, on the basis of a just ■ valuation, amongst the-next of kin.: ,; ~2- . In ; -t-ho 'matter of wills Devise by a ...should Be, inviid. Effect should ;bp given', only to a devise by a Maon to his next of kin, and, if tho next "+Lv ti, Ca n no ' , i c ? me , te' My, arrangement, •then the Court havo power to distribute, tho deceased's' estate, on the basis of a just valuation, aniongst his,relatives. d -,-Phe widow of; a deceased Maori, whether r!!f m w a ? n ,.? r of .EMopean blood, is now permitted to hold aji interest m the deceased's estate,;dunng_ her, lifetime, but in tho event ot her-mairymg; again, such interest should

> of children : -An child of Europoan blood should have L notwithstanding tho fait' that tha l°P r t ha 3 r . e S ls tered, in .tho estate of the adopting Maon parent. V' ' „ matter of partitioiisßefore the j p an l - b ' ook by the' Native £ ? " loro 1 should be placed 'a ' S ' : °t«li ■ plan, together with the report of, an authorised suneyo'r, .pointing out the best; road-lines upon such S °l, L— ° • CoUrt shall bo enabled to subdivision means of access, either by abutment ; upon , the road, ,' or by somo Z^ 11 t0 ,r ad u Th^e should bu nr rt. rv r,"T d thereby the Registrar or the,, Chief Jut go of the Nativo ; Land Court may give tilleot to' a- partition agreed to m a ivnting signed by all the part-ios oivninc or holding an interest in the land. b. In the-mattor of appeals:— I The system ot appeal should remain as at: present, somo amendment should bo made in the procedure : of the Nativo Land Court in refoonce to the fixing by tho Judge of an amount 83 deposit in the;matter of an aDDealy -..- -i V 7 -Native ; Land Court Judges:—A district should be assigned to, each Judge of the ; lN , atlVB ; L *nd Court, ;and, at tho beginning ot every year, placcs and time 3, should bo arranged, for - sittings .of the Court within each district. J.'->'• 8. In tho matter of Assessors: —Tho fortr.or Dowers of tho Assessors should, bo revived—that: say; the Assessor and the Judge, should havo equal voice' in the eivfna of anv decision. . 9. Exchange- and -consolidation of . interests :—l rovisions. for. the. exchange of interests. either by individuals,- family groups or - sections, should be made as wide and as simple as possible;, and the procedurd tho !Court should ' bo - amended so. that exchango may,;bo mado in accordance with of the interest or interests,' not;withstanding, tho,,fact- that" partitionhas i not yet been effected. . Eichango; of Maori 1 and - European. Jands } - under the of Section ,3? of 'l'ho Maori Land Laws Amendment Act, 1903, 'should bo nlado a matter of no difficulty; and there should be appointed periodically. by the Government a commission, by means of which- exchange and consolidation .of .interests 'within. the boundaries, of- each; : tribe' may be offeoted On the broadcat. principles. ; (b) Maori Lands,. Administration Laws:— , Strong . represefltations 'should be made to tho .Government that .steps (of such a nature that tho ; Maoris may ,be able to carry thorn put, without difficulty), be taken to provide, in the simplest, and, most effective mimnor, for the ; settlement -of Maori? upon their Jahds ■ and that ' the Government give this ' matter earnest consideration. . 2. Lot not tho European race- be misled into; thinldng • that because .lands have been set aside' as papakainga reserves for . the Maoris, theroforo - the. - Maoris may settle thqmseivos upon snch reserves ./ 'without trouble.: .On the :■ contrary, it is necessary that • steps bo■ taken that each person, or each family group", may settle upon his or their own ; land ■ without being-beset by difficulties; ;

• 3. If lands set aside as farms for Maoris cannot bo easily,. subdividod, tho matter should .bo pijt . into tho hands of some authoritv;.ontßido;ofvtho/local people for outtine up into sections and . leasing: to those persons amongst the owners who may desire to cultivate the samo. Tho' Government shotlld Erant such monetary .assistance- to these 'persons as may'bo necessary. 4. Tlie time'has not yet arrived when each Maori may bo . permitted to deal on his own responsibility with his lands by sale, lease, mortgaßo,or in any.. other' manner, inasmuch as it is clear that tho people of some districts' of tho island have only just now permitted', their lands , to como undor the European law, and that somo of'tho lands aro still held bv a tribal section, or by the tribe as a whole.: But if any land has been out up amongst individuals or family groups, and is now held under a soparato tirlo, ho or thev should bo allowed; to step beyond all restrictions, and have all tho privileges of Kuropeans. ' , ' . 5.. As; a - means -of hastening tho settle--ment of either Maoris or Europeans upon Maori lands, the Government should push on with the survey work, bccauso it is ofoarly seen that tho.laclc of proper surveys has delayed tho progress of settlement. 6. Each tnbo should carefully consider what portions of :their - lands ■. it- is desirable 'to sell at a, fair value, in order to satisfy the demand of the European pooplo for land for themselves.

Feathered Came Proteotlon Laws. The law provides thai feathered game shall not bo killed boforo May 1 or after July 31 in any open year,-and that one year in every three shall bo a close season. Another law provides that any Maori shall not purchase firearms, powder, • shot, or bullets unless ho possesses a license. Bie law as to firearms should bo repealed, aa it is a relic of evil days.: If it be left unrepealed it will be said .that the law-cherishes' ill-feeling and denies the loyalty of tho Maori people to the law of the Dominion. The Maori peoplo aro quite willing that native birds bo preserved against extinction,' though, they think that it is not by the snare or by tho gvm that they will disappear, but rather by the lack of- food supplies (indigenous berries). • Therefore thepeo 7 plo aro in two minds: "Shall tho forests be conserved as a moans of sustenance for tho birds', or . shall the birds be killed off lest their food supplies- become non-existont; seeing, too, that the'law already permits killing during the open season ?" In some parts of the island the birds fatten before May 1, and become poor in condition before the month of May has elapsed. In some districts, too, it is after July 31 that the birds are in the best condition. Therefore there is no reason that the open season for killing birds should ba fixed for the same; months throughout the island,. but rather Should tho seasons be sooner or later according to the local conditions of tie various districts.