AT TAIHAPE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 624, 29 September 1909, Page 7

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SPEECH BY HON. J. CARROLL. BORROWING POLICY ADVOCATED. NATIVE LAND MEASURES. • '• (By Mcgraph—Special Reporter.) ■ Talhapo, September 28. Replying to tho toast of " Parliament;" at he annual dinner given by the .Chamber; of; Jommerco at; Taihape to-night, tho Hon. J, Jarroll referred to a statement made'by tho iroposer that "all that Rangitikei wanted rns. further money, to- devolop its resources." .'llia _ want of money, remarked Mr. Carroll, ras felt by the .Government as well as by tho ■arious local bodies. Money was needed; until he Dominion reached a certain limit in retard to development and land: settlement. .Vhy, he continued,-shohld the present gen- •!. ration liavo ;to boar - on its- shoulders' the vholo of tho burdenand onerous ,woik of leyelopoment? Posterity should bear ■ its pro- ■■ icr , share. ofthe burdens entailed in. the * [rent work. So long as economy was ob- ■ ierved and wisdom permeated tho.; adminis-'*' .ration and management of tho-country, so'- ' oug_ as they had a . true knowledge of 'the yauts of . the people and the greatness in. fdora' ... or tho_ Dominion, they could not go'wrong m :■'■ jorrowing money for immediate requirements, riiere was nothing, in all this talk, about tho iiung up of tho national debt year by year. Wo could not stand still: as, to call a halt ' n a youbg counto- UH° . this would really nean going back. Before, they could proporly. ■ iquin a country such as Noiv Zealand, they ' liust have money to do it with. ;.V" 'A Biil to Repeal Seventy Acts. Roferenco to tho proposed consolidation' of ' the Native land laws.was also made bv the"' Hon. J. -Carroll.; Mr.-;'.Carroll said'that, luring ■ tho last .30' years, these': laws- h.iu irown into!a chaotic' state,- and 'now coulained' : numerous inconsistencies, ; A variety of amend- ">:- inents, which, had' been made, had led "to more . iontontion t.han .anything else. . It was now . sonsidered; that the .time was opportune to ' bring the wkolo into- one comprehensive : measure, .-and, to tliis'- end; 'a Bill had' been 1 J prepared for" presentation .at the forthcoming ;. ... session.of Parliaments It Avould'obntaiii about--100 clauses, and would repeal no fewer than 70 ; add Acts. The Native-land laws-had in fact ' become sp ■iutridot© as- not oitly to' pujzlo soina - if; the most eminent, lawyers, but to occasion ■; loubts in' the. mihds of tho' Higher 'Colitis,as .... to tho' interpretation .'of of tlicir proI'lsions. .' The .proposed consolidation would, therefore, ho was sure, be accepted by every- • ene; in .thb,;Doipi|iioii-,as.,aii: Act; Which would : lead to good results^.-'-" As., instancing the stu- ;; '- , pendens work Wllioli.tho-oohsolidatiou had entailed, Mr. Carroll. 6atd.that the-commission which had been set,up to oehipilo and consoii-'.; dpte tho; various, statutes Ui'ud..declared, that it; •• was an impossible task, ' The wholo of : the work was, therefore, thrown back o|t: tlio Native' ■ Department and tho Council of.Law-Drafting, v ; Settlement of Native Lands, . '■In thocoureo of other remarks, the. Hon., J, V .K Carroll; stated - that the settlement.'.of; th«> ' Native lands'had .been a favourito topic with public;. men,; .especially ;nvith; thos<f.. wno ,!'\verti ;V< oppbsed to the Government. . The critics.;: 1 had tried "to: instil' , tho . bcliof : ,'into the:!, minds of peoplo- • that,' under the present. Administration, Native' .. lands . formed. i T (("-block: t i*" 1 the 1 Reliera 1J feet tloi i) elit 'of'thb'cdun-' try.-. Thoso .who cri|lcised- tli'o Nativo';. lands ; ; administration', wero, usually .'those'' who: know the-'least about: it,....1f,, ono clmllcnccd Mr. Massey to give, in nny district, tho area or tho Uumbor of owners of tho Nativo laild therein, Ho could hot poss|bly 'do iti l''ov instjjnco, the total nroa of tho . Jiangitiliei ' electorate nai 800,200 .: acrcsUi' - Included oNatjvq; lands v: tot3oo;P<M)->jipr ea,^?:this ,?iNhttvo- land had , been dealt ;wi tic as ' follows':—Area under, lease :or negotiation for : lease,.; 250,000 acres; vosted J ih-tho : Aotea 1 Land Hoard, 11,780 . acres J dealt wit(i by the 1 Nativo. Land .Commission, 15,710' acro's'j tlius i leaving 'n^bnldn'co ! '!df2s,soo; acres.Sunder .Native ' occupation. .;:Tho areaaj; undep lease wqro, for thenioat part,;old leases-, or -{oiste.in. inland-'Patea,' such, as ifotukawa,::. Orouaranttia,, : Kaimanawa,' - Awarua, Huanui, and other blocks.; Rocont leases were ol small' areas.; ; . Goperally- the titles Wero well individualised, ■ and, under ,tho now proposals, i moro tiwiif halt:of" the ; area of tlte ' Native landar of, the '.district ~w.auldr bo. availablo; for, freehold::. 6ri.liasolibl(r occiipatioii 'at fhe ,option ot tho, ■pwtie!C.'- ! Mr.'''Cai*oil-''':woiit , .oii'-tti tlio settlement';*)! tlio Native landiiiww'gojng.on all the :time;unassisted by those"whorwere all the oriticifiing., (A voico: "Rot!"). In cou-'clnsion.i'Mr.-Carroll stated, ,thjit'there was nothing to prevent' Europctini'and Maoris, from entering: into negotiations .for "tlio. purebajo of Native lands provided'that the , statntorj con " ditions' woro complied with. '■ Thou; again,, the Crown was,engaged in ' purclinsirig. anil • BUtveyr ing areas of Nativo lands:.; (Lpud- appluuse.) The Government ; Party : ."No. Time Servers." Brief reference'was. made by: Mr. .Carroll to. the work-of tho Liberal party. .Some day, ;lie, said, a chaOgo might come, but, iip to the prosent, tho people had not. seen the necessitj for an olteration in the Government; -"Wo ore no -tiino servers," ho .continucd,."and wq nro only ill' otlico so long as it is the ill of tlio people. , It is a -great thing,'> in. I '.'my', opinion,, .to . , "bii hblo to say tliat wo liavo -. una the conhdenco . of tho.. peoplo,. for eighteen years. -If wo -were- ■ put out of , power to-morrow wo could always look back on the fact that we had boon in office so long. As a Govornmont, wo liavo to discover: where ntis--... takes'have been-made, and where it is necessary to strengthen tho weak links lu our ia\>=, and add further provision? for.-the bonchtjof, tbo people as a whole. We have been painted as tho seven dovlis of boci/.ism, as the 1 ogres of the political'.world.- (Laughter,) _riies«,, 1 may remind you, avo only-epithets for tue. ilcetinfj nionient.". (Lpml, applfiuso.) ' Sir Joseph, Ward's Trip Home. Mr. Carroll ■■ mentioned- that . Sir, Joseph Ward, was tho Vest, sclectwii, -consider-. ii tr tho hign.office which, ho.held, .fo.rcpresttit New Zealand'at.the Dofeno6-Cohtsrenco.;l'rour reports' which' had cabled ..there every; •reason to believe that" he had worthily • repre- j seiited'tho, ideals- of tlio - people, nlid. btrondyimpressed ' the 'mindey of. the people of the Homeland, llis: trip would, in-a variety ot ways, ; V'iidi to-tho 1 advantage of: Now icoianU, for it would mean tho opening up 'of (other than immediate: ones), through which tiie . i)oiwiiiiou would beuctit. It would lchd to prp' Bi ; es3 "iii' reghvd -to • trade and -.-cbmm'crce* v and. would, establish- confidencoin financial matters.' iii regard ,to New Zealand. (Loud ftpplaUhe.) - Railways and Lands, • Wit'a respect to the railways,-ho stated that, the amount of "capital, invested in -the -open, lines' waa. X2/,000,W)p,- of: which siim 18 mil-: 'lions had been expended within tho; past 15 ; years. Sinco . tlio ■ present- party : camo ~ power tlio revenue had risen tji; just'on throe millions per annum, and nuw;inorc,thaiv 13,000, ; hands' .employed.-; Mr. : OarfpU- went ion to. : say that every effort should uo inaue'to niako the railways.. selfrpayiiig.;. ; r At: ; present," several, alterations were ;: under,, trial- s for' 12,: months,' anil other' changes wouldthen,;.bo 'made,; if .':f6u'iid ncccfeary. ■ The" area Of land open 1 for selection uuderthe Land Guide was 1,493,70!! 'acres;- of -.which--4-53,G-il acres,.were;in tho North Island.- The area of Crown lands noiv being surveyea;(including Native lands to bo opened for-solec-tion): was 1,33",549 acres, of wliioh' about hivit was 'in.tho,.North lelantl. ;. . , : Times When All Parties Should Unite. ' Referring.' to.i tho t(cb4flr, of .'.th,e Opposition;' Mr. CarrolL'iifilS:—"l haW;al«uva lound Jlr„ Slassey i strong fighter, a man: - 6trong : -in actions, and strong;-iii>opinions..;- Ho has led his party with remarkable skill, and itj;C(ien\< ■ bers have been loyal to-.-him throughout;.hi<' term of office. Somo of hiy very best friend/ are on the other.sido of:tlio",House, and thai is what I like, to see—good men\ on'both sidear When great ..questions'—national, questionsarise, the two forces should combine, and sink their party difference, and then \vo will bo able to placo our hands on;our hearts and say to ourselvest 'Wo are safe ill tho custody of-such lnpniV '■- ■■■■ ,