THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 3

THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

!,;."V ; Vj'...■■'-"A . - .'. Sir,—The hopeless state of chaos .that the Native lands administration; appear. to have reached seemsto me to-be a sufficient reason to endeavour- to formulate spme^ l differentscheme for .dealing .with this question. 'The waste-, of wealth that has been/permitted to go p.nfor.so'many:years speaks little'for the statesmanship of, past: legislators,. and the ,time has come, when the welfare of :iho country demands that this travesty, on'common sense and justice must cease: 'Are we/tb'see' millions of^acres. of:splendid land lymgi'waste and unproductive irhilst.thbusaiids. of capable and; deserving pcople'.are made tlie;sport arid plaything pf : _an unfeeling, and incapable G'ovTtTftiC l nd ' ' f^: is it?;, Ask the.thousands that are daily trviri" t<, procure-sufficient land to make, a home fo? and,families: There is not sufiiicient good lanftat the disposal of the variTmf H? rdS ■ S , the'reqmremente of whilst .millions of-.acres ofami : Js>tivc lands lie ? the advent of the,p.oneer settler. ; In place f|'fe *P PY «r«c»t of the countrj-,: the Admm lS trat,on spend their tine on a.round, of. banqupts and tootin K of -horns nSr g uUer E ™ their, utter .incapacity to -siiccpssfully 'deal with/ the leiidmc question of the day Die ,demand for,lands.for. settlement i/far le° yond.anv poss.ble prospect of it being satisfied/imdcr the existing system of land lstration.andtho .urgent necossity of some |.practical means.,; of placing the-whole of the waste.lands of ;the Dominion ; at the disposal.- of ftenuino farmers is 'witiiout ■ doubc the mosturgent question of the day'.- . 'From the:earth comes all wealth.'' Aro we ,then so blind in bur own interests' as- to tolerate the present Nativo lands policy ? The Maori has boen,found, without exception" , to beutterly incapable of seriously takin;; the Iquostiqn. of making provisitShfor the futuro

wants of himself and, family into consideration. Sufficient for the day is the need thereof is his creed, and he follows it'with a whole-hoartedness worthy of a better cause.. This being the case, it t seems to mo. tho bettor plan to consider the Maori an irresponsible person, , and to at once place his lands in the hands of a trustee.for administration: I would propose that the.whole of the existing Native lands legislation should be repealed without-' delay; a new Department to bo formed on similar lines to the present Public Trust office, to have at its head a Nativo trustee, who by Act of Parliament would .have vested in him the whole of tihe Natiye communal lands to administer'and hold in trust for the benefit of the Maori generally, and who would be accountable to Parliament July for his acts.of administration.' The present Native Land Court officials could be reappointed to continue tho investigation and award of individual claims, thus causing no defyy or hardship. Parliament to at once appoint a .permanent Naiivo, land settlement board, consisting of qualified' surveyors, practical farmers, and suitable Natives Who have already had fanning experience; this board to' inspect "and value the various blocks, a.nd : report:-to the' Natiye. trustee, the suitability or otherwise of different blocks-for. close or pastoral settlement, tvlio would then at once have the blook divided into .suitable areas, also to make provision for'the present: and reasonable future requirements for tho'. Maoris living in tne-districts ..With th'e-.ex-. ceptiori of these and ; oth'er necessary 'reserves, tho whole block to be ihrown operi for selection on optional tenure. Stringent conditions should be attached and enforced in the direction of compelling selectors to reside on and improve their holdings, and overy encourage-; ,ment and inducement should.be- given tho young Maori •to acquire and farm one of these- holdings in place, of"tribal , lands.: If -preference was given to Natives'in certain parts of the block it'would enable them to acquire holdings adjoining European , settlers/ ..whoso example and-advice .would be of incalculable value to the : Maori- , farmer, besides enabling them to' procure work , adjacent to their holdings, , -thus encouraging hinvto carve out.a home, independent of the .kaihga:..No.transfer.of any of these holdings' undor : seven years, and no Maori''to transfer unless-'sanctioned by the: .Native, .trustee. Compulsory. improvement conditions to hold good with Natrvo.aWwell, as European];-all -holders.to pay- , ;local\raies,and'.dog,tax; the i Native'selector.'to be placed on ; .exactly 'the: same footing as- any'.other holder- ajs'. regards payment of interest and purchase money, but having: a 'provision of, advances .from the trustee monthly of 80 per cent, of the' : value of all permanent improvements, to'.so;per cent;- for the purchase of , stoek : or imploments:. Snch loans to-be granted under-similar conditions as the present; Advances to .Settlers Act. After de- ■ ducting the cost of: survey and reading, plus its share of administration, the> whole of the proceeds arising- out of' the sale , or lease of these blocks to be paid intb a national Na- ; tive. trust.accourit, of whioh moneys 25 per cent; would bo permanently retained' and invested by the trustee to provide ways 'and means ( of providing instructors and means of teaching suitable trades to the. youths and domestic duties, nnrsing, etc., for girls; to provide homes or reasonablo, annuities to the aged and needy, to care for and .educate the orphan, >and 'generally < give every reasonable facility,to enable the individual. Native by means of moderate exertion, to provide for the wants of himself and family. , ■■'"■' .It is only reasonable and .just that .the Native landholder .should' assist, in' the work of educating and providing- means of, advancing his poorer brethren, and ■'• no nnal division of comraunar lands or the iprooeedirarising from the sale orlease of same should be made until every. Native has been , awarded sufficient 'inalienable land 'to provide foodJor himself, and dependents. If there'is not Native lands in certain/districts for their;requirements, the trustees should bo .to" purchase; By these means I ■ claim fliat the, Native lands problem would M speedily solved ■tq the 'mutual benefit of both races. Once the land, was surveyed and selected, tW.roading of'tho;. block-could be let_in small contracts/and'those not having sufficient capitalto carry on' until such time -as they.received:, returns, from'their holdings; : would ;be, enabled- to earn sufficient 'to' par- , - tialljr. meet the • cost of living, i Aβ' soon as tho individual Natoe's interests, had,been K 7ar J_x- y ' ho.could-draw: on for- part.,of: , sucH' , mo"neys. as": ho might .be. entitled, to,' but- provision 'should l>6. mado that a further'part of' it should bo invested eitherm lands- or" such' securities' that the'trustee; might direct,:'such investment to be. held in .trust. for the individual andrlus dependents, thus ensuring that thej would not become paupers or a 'charge on the Dominion.;' ,:. ."■; • '-.' .. '■-'.■-' • .'.-

; To anyone having a knowledge :of Maori lite andcharaoter, it is evidently little short of a onmo-.to place them in possession of large sums of money as yearly .incomes. .Tho s only safo road from savagcdom'to civilisation lies along the same path thathasbeen trodfor all time by the bulk of the haman race ; Not in; sole pleasures and.dissipation, but in wholesome indnstry. and honest toil.-The Do.minion doesnot -requife,,nor will it tolerate,' an idle aristocracy, living'in'- dissipa-' tion, .whose sole , sources .of {.revenue : are'the lands,, of which' every-foot ha* teen- enriched. by the toil of the ivhite man and his capital; who,: under present Nativp land- conditions practically becomes the bonded slave of the brown man: He may spend.his health and strength and capital ,in carvirigvout a homein;! the. wilderness-only.-. .to find that at the endof fifty years' slavery he has'tb. hand over nisNmprovei and probably lucrative home- , stead to the Native aristocrat; .'-Do Weal] this'justice?: . Is it statesmanship?. We' require no landed gentry in'this country. Provide their, sufficient lands for .their necessi-' ties and disposo.of the balance to the Euro-' pean settler, thus enabling the country to at-' tract-and.support.'a nation.of study and independent yeomanry, whose numbers Would be the. surest means, of providing for "' the prosperity and defence of our fair land—l -am, etc.-; : . " : -. ••■; v< .-. ■■.:.-. ,-:■-,, .'■■ i ''■,'■■■■ \r>:y '',-■'•: ::y'-r:.r [ -PATRIOT/.