UNION PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 612, 15 September 1909, Page 3

UNION PARLIAMENT.

./ THE, NATIVE LAND QUESTION, I A debate on'- the .Native- iand : qnestion was the feature of the proceedings of tha Union Parliament at the Y.M.C.A. last evening. Dr. Buck (Te Rangihiroa) and Mr.' J. P.' Luke, M.P. s, .were among those present. ■■■-,' : .Mr.'M.' G.. C.'.M'Caul (Minister for Native Affairs), brought forward a Native Land Bill, providing for the abolition 'of '• special Maori representation, and payment, by Maoris of rates and taxes, and application bf pakeha land laws to Maori lands'. Itwae not proposed to give the. Maoris' the -power to sell'their lands to others than ;the Government;: - It was provided that sufficient land be surveyed, loaded, and divided amongst the Maoris to , allow each Maori to ,have a sufficient holding tosupport hinisolf and family;. alii other* Native'. lands, including those" leased ■ to Europeans, to be .'purchased', by. tho'Government "at prices detertniiied by arbitration, and payment'to be made in '• 3' . pbr' 'cent, inscribed' • stock, '■ )■ or cash,j or, partly: stock hnd-:partly casni at tne /.option of thti, Government. Further ;.clauses: provided that the lands, so pur-chnsed,:-'should, bo- opened .for settlement on' renewable lease,' reafforested,' or /made available for .eawmilling or mining; and that a board "of "trustees for: the/Maori race shonld be set ■ up,'.; such, :board -to consist "of'.; the Native. Minister, .three/members, -appointedV,^y"the Government, and throe elected -by/ the'-'Maoris; arid to »dminister the purchase -moaey: it. stock for, the'benefit'of thb-Mnbfis;. Mr.'M'Canl said '.that,;'.if- present, .tendencies; : continued, unchecked,, the, Maoris..would become the most .wealthy section or the 'community,' and would ultimately.becomeJhe equivalent of the British landedaristocracy.. They would 'be injured by ; .idleness and/luxury.. The' yme.liad arrived in the history of the Dominion When'every available, acre-.sbpnld be-; brought into culttyation. The , country Ws:'capable, of : Bupn'6nirig : "tfr'erityj million-people..;, ,"J.f -the - Bouse does not nccept our '.JJatise'/land'- policy.) : Vβ' go 'put of/ office." .concluded the"'Minister; ."We'have'nailed bur 'cWuur's to tho*mast.-",t.. -titviWii .;, :. Mr.-Granville Hicks-(Premier) explained that ■financia'l-'ischeme 'connected /with the measure, :He,proposed , 'to "raise a loan of one'million in Australia, which would-be,, used in opening up '.three million acres -of , Nativo :la"nds requiring ,3000: miles o f roading, t irhibh would cost a~milo.:(' This would-ewallow up andthe -supply -of , fencing material, stock,. seeds, etc.;. would .consume" £200,000.! '.'The sum of ,JUST,OOO. -would: :be.t. devoted.-•-. to - afforestation. ■ Mr. J Hicks also submitted.figures' to show, that: •the policy .'would result.in n y gain of :year/to tho Dominion.-arid 1 the.,loan could be -liquidated, if,thought fit, at the end-of tyrentyfive '.years':;- :-,■- ■■'.'.'■ '■■'■ : "-/' : .'-.- ■.•-- r ...'-'i..j-..i- v -.-> .-." , ■ Mr.. Dickinson' (Leader: pf/'tho' Opposition)' ' declared/that'much-of; the-speech''of the . Minister,, .for 'Native 'Affairs :was ■ taken from an ; article , 'by Mr.;T, /E. Taylor,'-'M.P., in : the" ■"Citizen. , :, He' urged''.that the Natives': were, ■just.as well, able to manage their own affairs. •■ Mr. M-Caul,, in a.'personal-'.explanation, said-: , he.i had '.not read. the "Citizen" .since' they gave up-sending-out free copies. ~' . •/. ■:■■,•',* •;'Mr. Brethcrtbn -remarked upon thol.curious ,resembrance between Mr. M'Caul's 6peech and 'the "Citizen" article;: .:. ■!•:•■. -. ..Mr.'. Hicks , :rose --.to a point; bf/.order.- Thehon. member' had impugned the "veracity' of his (the Premier's). colleague in a manner that the.House could.not easily brook. ■■' ;, Th e r ,SDeaker; t (Mr. A. H. Casey) rnled.thatthe, Minister, having madb. his explanation, tho matter must not be referred.to again. " Mr.Brethcrton, criticising,the Bill, ridiculed r the-'idea of : compelling all-Maoris to:be farmers, .ilhe best solution bf the problem would b ? ' Kr." ;«»e. l'ublic- .Trustee to 'take. possessibn ol all the Jiaorr land;-;arid• administer it >for the fbeneht-of the Maoris, .giving facilities for_thoso'who wished to go in for farming! ■Mr. Parton, also; spoke from the Opposition benches.,' .- " •■".' • ■ '. , :Mr.. Hogari./aefcnded'. tho Bill,''and denied that it was intended :to-compel Maoris to bo' tarmers. /jt...was -merely, intended- to give them tacuities, ' . '....• ■ :The:debate was- continned by Mr. D J Conchie. (Opposition), and .' Mr...-Humphries (Government);•■;■ ',- ■. ■■ . -..-.■ v- -..- r> .^ r -,. < f odie s'. (Opposition) insisted 'that the BiU,:did not, make' provision for' a- Maori to dispose.of,,his holding without.acquiring an.other./ ■:■' ' ■•■' ■'■'.• ; ■'.■' -.■■• -•--.. •• .■,--.. : .',Mr. Lceming, (Independent) said the Government'members had only uttered ."senHmental "gush; If; every /.Maori .of.. 15: years and over wastobe'given enough land tb.support himself and his probable descendants/tho pakehas .should; bo treated;.in the same way. He'advocated land . ■ . « Ml i-n - w E ?^ bi ? s ' .Biippprtcd stem ■ ' ob3ected to , exclu sively: leasehold . The debate: was adjourned, until next'sittinc .night., ' .-'• -...•.,'. : ■ : ;■;■ ' - ; .-'■ .• . , - 6 ■ The Speaker, .who. said he did not expect to be in attendance again this session, complK mented members on the debate, and gave them advice upon , the b.est;;way of taking advantage , of the opportunities afforded by the Bnion -Parliament. '' ', ... : _ Mr.- Hicks expressed the thanks of the members'to the, Speaker, and -.theirj appreciation of his-conduct, in'the chair. :■ '.'..-.- ...