NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 10

NATIVE LANDS.

issue of "June 29 .you state : that;tlio Minister,.referring to , tWNative.'lands'question,' said:—'.'They .(the; .Europeangj'.'see'm'ed.to'forgct, however, that it i was, and had been foralong tirrie, quite open , '■ for private individuals -to contract; under certain conditions with the owners for the lease 'qr,'l>urchase of-. Native lands."- : This state- , ment is t'ruo, but these conditionsiare such . that; no ; self-respecting*,white wan can■:comi ply! With them. ( One of these:,is "that the ;Native; owners' 'signatures: must!'bis. : obtained i .'to tho,consent to'.lease.qf- sell their land. To ; get these signatures the white men have to , go grovelling, in objectionable, pas, to: the Na- ' tiyes, who are.adepts in stringing land-seck-i. ers : on ii;the belief" that.;.the.-signatures will ; forthcoming, i and in the.meari-. i itimo l :iWringing.;every pennyvtliey can ;out.'of i |tliuir..dupes;;;and when they'have; run' thoni. • fdry-. throwing".them over ~; to' commence the , : S.ime.operation with btHbrSV;;. Further, •'it ■is f :s , &fo"M,say.'t]iat-',quite.Bo.pei\'coht.. of.-the.jni-'. i jtlia 'quite; 80 i -porVpenfAof.-.-'tho .lialfrcastes are S ' tho/Tesult of" ; this..fogling :: .with' the -('Natives ;, over'their land. :'■■ •-' : .'.-■, j i ■'■"•■.• ." • . 5 . ;Thc way this Native land question has been; p dealt■ with' in'the past is "a disgrace, not only ■ to our successive Governments, but'also 'to , the people of tho Dornifiioa' for-lettuu}; tioru-

1 selves'suffer this blight of Maori land humi [bug so long. The remedy is simple and obvii ous. '(Let the Government declare itself as !; ownersin trust for.every aero of land . that is-iidt in actual and productive occupa- , .tion.of,.t'ho Maoris.- Then set aside sufficient ' re'serva'tidns for homes for and throw open the remaining land to'the public on the ■ 'Cash and/ occupation',with right of purchase " 'tenures! principal sums received for the ■land to%e'pefmanently .invested in such way. as the Government'may':aebm desirable, and the" interest and 'fe'ntsoidy to go to the Na- ' The proceeds of part of the land sold • for cash might be devoted to'the roading and bridging of the'cbunt'ry, adding the cost of so doing to the capital value of the land given ■ access to. ... If this plan were carried out it would im- ■. mediately provide land for the landless, not ionlyfor those old residents who,have been ' hoping in vain for years to obtain farms, but . 'also for those many recent arrivals who have been bilked into coming here under tho im'pression that Government-land was readily obtainable 1 ; it would do away with the unom- • .ployed', difficulty, and make the whole coun-, ■ itry.'fDrosperous...!/•'•>■-•■•.'.•'••''■''■'.i„-.- : iiThis.settlement.would'not be acceptable to !th'o. ! undue jroportion of Native • Ministers' whom tho Prime Minister, has jammed into his Cabinet; for they want the white man to continue) to work forj and,create a colossal inorement for, the coloured, and to make the Maoris an enormously wealthy class, which will probably-in a few ye»rs\ time commence to^look,down.upon, and^drawthe.colour line against,.,the white, as .the' American, docs against'the negro.- But it would do the' Native race no injustice,; and it would givo the white race what it had;borne all tho labour,- • risks, and privations to create.—l am, etc., ■;v/ >. AOTI-TAIHOA. v . July 12,1909. .;,:;;/; : :