NATIVE LAND ACQUISITION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 13

NATIVE LAND ACQUISITION.

Sir,—Our Native legislation, and.-'all; 'dealings,.in,Native Jandsisßear the indel--■ible.stamp of'the litter ignorance'and in-' icapaoity'' of' responsible/for', these.' i iSws''.'tnat"fit; in - nowhere,' v that- are' : 'a 'disgrace to<this Dominion;-and- that'are' !utterly, useless :'to - either the ~ Natives or - those game: to attempt to secure Native land by 'lease' from .tho 'Natives.'' The, iNorth Island • is much more productive than; the South. : -The climate is better.; Why does- it 'not' absorbv and 'produce ; more?, :Simply'because Native and Euro; pcan' are- not. allowed- to deal; man to -man: for land-by Act; of Parliament. The Government have made a lot of -useless laws _ and'.established an exorbitantly ex..pensive r method of "robbing • the- Natives of. their: land; ■ If the Natives could deal direot' ; with settlers,;:the. North'would be "the r most - prosperous part-' of • .tho British possessions.;;, To ■ longer, attempt, to ■ tinker up -the. present rotten,- obsolete Native land, lairs, to nourish ,the idea that, any ?ood or : satisfaction can ever emanate: roin the present system; is mere. waste of time. The whole abortion must; be rooted-;out, and people -who know -what will suit Native and European must make laws.- Being,. a : long": resident in 'the North, being a Maori'linguist, and know-, ing the feelings. of■:the Natives,-! suggest, .that', all -dealings lietween.: Native and. pakoha be equal; ..Give, the. Natives the same/laws, as we enjoy. Dnmp'.'the Native' Department into Wellington Har-: bour.-with some-ballast.-The. Natives are oapable of dealing with'their land, but Government has not yet'given them their land, and,; instead, of preventing: fraud to the have Tobbed. pur,lanfl at 2s. '6d.. per acre—land, we''could now sell for. X6;.>nd could-have" sold'privately for df&to i!3'per acre.. The greatest- trouble is' noticeable where a private individual has ■ a Native lease, u Why not so, 'with the: Government?, .Many have, been, left -landless, and we have.been' robbed of ; onr laid as the, cats were of their cheese by 'the monkey, law-maker. We are loyal British subjects, are intermarried . with : the whites, and unite our demand to -that ,-pf .'those,.-intelligent pakehas ' who,'. know.; that 7 we..' wish equal laws with our white relations"and friends. All we;waiitis fair :play.; The.Native interpreter: and the Native. Department are a curse' to Aotea ; Eoa,' and pakeha . and Maori alike. "We want equality.—l iun, 0t0., : \- .-.;.".•..-.'■. .-■"''.'.-'. ■■.■•■'■' '..--;'■-.,;. '-..■ ;■.-' :' NGATITAIHOA.;;