The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 2; 1909. THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 549, 2 July 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JULY 2; 1909. THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN.

Within the past few days the Hon. J. CaBEOLI has thrown: off his "racial slug-gisnneßs"'-tiO quoto ono of hia journalistic eulogists—to the extent of replying to Me. Hogg's indictment of His neglect. Me. Hoao holds views upon the land question which we entirely disagree with. But leaseholders and "freeholders havu this in common, tbmt they wish to see the Native lands settled, and we cordially agree with Ma. Hogg in his denuncia'tionfl, of tho _ policy that is keeping all ■ these lands idle. Mb. Caeeoll's reply was unsatisfactory, but it was a feat on his part to reply at all. Tho main fact, is a thing that ho cannot reply to. Vast areas of Native, lands are covered with noxious '. weeds, and ,this; after eighteen years;of_ Liberal administration. Settlcra are leaving the country in quest of land ;' and tho offeots of • fifteen years of wasto and extravagance, coupled witE a temporary'drop in prices of wool, .havo caused acute distress, throughout the. Dominion; the ; demand for land on a profitable tenure long ago exceeded the supply. ; One would suppose that the' Government would-devote all its energies and air its available resources to setting freo the millions of acres of rich Native ..land which are now, lying'idle and unproduc-, tivo. ■•'•'But what has been done? ,' Littlo indeed, and little is being done... Minis ; ters will not see that; if the Native' lands were made' available for settlement' on .easy tormsV and ; oh terms that would; grant the right -of; pUrehaso 1 tp; thd ten-} ants, the whole country would receive a stimulus, - we , should haye-practically ■ r)o uriemplpyed; and wo .should not ibe losing cottiers to; Australia. So little, are Ministors: acquainted 'with the position that Mb.-- Btjddo does no 6 hesitate to mako tho;: manifestly": 'absurd;'- statomciit : 4hafi "largo numbers of Australian farmers are coming to New Zealand -at the/ present timo." Thatfslatoment is almost as ino'rediblc as would be (in assertion that largo numbers of Italians, desirous of a warmer climate, wore sailing every ucek for Antarctica.' Mn. Bijddo must be perfectly well aware that the departures from this country in-.May last exceeded tho arrivals by.'just .undor 60 per cent. At Omahu the other day, Mr. Carkoj-l actually told a'NativiJ 1 gathering that "tho Stato cannot allow, and , will not allow, any portion of its land, whether owned by Maoris or any, other people, to remain unproductive," This in face of the fact that millions of acres of land aro-lying unproductive and untaxed because of the Government's disregard of its duty to tho people as a whole.

; .' Behind' all- Government's:foily \ and ,indifference, behind all; tho inaction and iricomptahensibib legislation;.of,tho.-past eighteen /yoars,': behind; : Mr. <:}, Carroll's sluggishness'.'. and Mr. .Buddo's lack; : of, kncfwlodge—behind air these bars to settlement lies the vicious theory that the y Maofi must,be coddled' at ■ the expense of the -European/;ihat' ; he'must: bo-saved by'ibe-' ing "spoon-fed 'into helplessness and ■decay. -Tbi time has come when the 'Maori 'tlie;:same asthe-Europeapintho. eyes; .of the ! State. '.He! should': have the '.-■;■ Bamo ; rights',V but the same One of the; first steps to be taken; should be' the' ! abolition of special representation for tho The case.-' for this'iefoM-Ws; vigorously put'by-tt-correspondeniiwlioso letter wo printed on;Tueßday. He pointed 6ut. ; that..although' the; Maori:; ie.not deemed competent,';t'6 jnanage his own af--fiirs; hejß; decrand conipetont, to 'assist in managing the .affairs of the , whites, The four; 'Maori members:'are safer Govf ornment/ votes—in' ; certain/circumstances they could hold , the',Government;, in office; or hurl it .but/- Their support has been:won, arid kept by tho constant sub* ordination of ■ European \tp Maori' inter;eßts;. Oiir corrcspondont's conception,'bf the Native member's;attitude'towards the Government is not .an' exaggerated one'; ;'"Keep.your fellow white man at bay. Sell his interests for our party vote. Heap every' kind of restriction) ; taxation, and inspector upon; him, and we-will vote with you every tune. Take hie land- from him under tho Lands for .Settlement; Act; but bee that it does not apply to' ours, Keejphim at bay, If he' becomes rdstive; fob him off with a commission. show, of passing legis-; lation, but see to.it that tie Act of .each ■year ehall contradict and make unintelligible all ite predecessors, v Look wise; keep your ,iaoe . straight,, protest your sincerity, threaten if you like; but keep him off." The opening up of the. Native areas .would naturally behefit' the Auckland province ■ first and most ■ largely, but settlement and' production in one province mußt necessarily diffusa prosperity over tho,whole country/ The question is j'one of the very first itoportance, and it can only be. solved by a determined ot fort to sweep, /away the suffocating theories that, have; made" the Maori's lands a burden on the nation inetead of an aid to it- MR.CABKOtiL must be done the justice of tho admission that he has at last seen, the force of our contention that "no Maori should'hold the freehold of his land unless he.pays rates and taxes the same as the.European." "The sooner we tackle the question of rating on ■ Native lands,"'he said'a day or two ago, "the better." Nobody-has any faith', in Mr. .Carroll's ability or readiness to "tacklq" anything that calls for zeal and sustained effort, but when even he is forced to see that the vicious differentiation between Maori and European is not so sound and wise as it has been foolishly considered to be during so many years, there is seme hope that the practical patriotism and vigour of others may end a condition of things which ie a sore and increasingly painful handicap on the country's progress. . : ;