TARANAKI NATIVE. LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 8

TARANAKI NATIVE. LANDS.

REVIEW OF THE POSITION. r '

BY THE ,HON. J. 'CAEEOLL.

- With .regard to the . recent 'conference at. Okaiawa, the Hoi). J. ,Carroll, Minister for Native Affairs, in the, course of'an interview at Stratford/ stated, that at:the/present time there were'aboiit 3000 beneficiaries from the Native'reserves in Taranaki; while about 400 llabris';--were laudless.a. Tlie wli3io. aroi of land., lielonging..to .the. Natives in -the province was about-193,000- acres.- v Of this;.area there were tome. 117,000- aores; leased.'un--.der the perpetual lease tenure. /Eighteen thousand acres .that wero.leased'under the Land-Act, ;1881, ware not porpotual,liind the leases would run-*-out in -a year oi two. Thero were alsj 3000 acres, short leii.?os that wiuldespiro at an curly, date, .further; there was an oiea'of Native. land, some 15,000 acres in - extent, near .Parihaka. that.the Natives desired to have - cut -up , into;:areas . suitable' for farming pursuits. . ..';/. '_'/

present, stood (continued Mr. Carroll) thero was a great dearth, of land for the Natives ,t»> farm' and' live upon. The Maoris desired to secure more -land for th© futruro, so ,that theyeduli go for farming, opsrutic-ns Uioinsolvw-. ihey v.-ere prepared, to farra.thoJand 'oii the sau\e liies ,as" Europeans,, and would be. subject, to. tlie' same tasalicn. "Their condition at, was. viow.ed .i svith alaim bythe . more , ealightei;3i! ; bers of the race; 'and they lo.ik'ed' to t-lio land to- ; better thoir condition. ~ Thev claimed . that what they asked'.' for ./was on fair and legitimate grounds. Regarding the 18,900 / acres ' the lease - of/which' would eipire iia a year or' t'wo, the .Natives contended/ that,;- thero were ■ many onore-.of'/'their. raco that required : the country than those/at" present- in- occupation./.. At - the; present I :'indment; this land ,waa . held soine' 135/.Europeans, 'while- there..were/'3400 'Maoris/ who,, required it to divide' amongst, themselves to': enable them to live under - better, cohr ditions.. The .Natives - did- not '* object tci 'any.'.reasonable "-claims 'that the; EuroJ peans ;might ; -'m^' 'vert' ,to the/Maori, ; and., i: they, thought that the. time had arrived'when the Public .Trust'ee,.(as. adm'imstrator/of; Maori" land/' affairs); ■ had 'fulfilled;.his.' ,mission, and that'; a - change Was desirable whereby, the''management 1 'of/their, own lands might' bo moro in the/keep-, ing. of ytheinselves. '.Te- Whjti.-and'cTohu had . gone, ' • and ■, hundreds ;of - their /fol- ; lowers ■ were; seeking -unayailingly; for land 'to;.settle' upon,haying looked,, in-,'vain for ; the - prophets' 'to; secure'. it/for them.. ...The: Natives -were/desirous [. that .the'. qiiesHoii should; be viewed-from everv standpoint, ;and .that-legislation 6hould ;be;framed-to re-adjust the whole -of -the; reserves/ at present under the'jurisdiction of the Public Trustee.. ":/.v ■,'i. L'Tv' : '" : - : Questioned as to what/scheme the ;Na-. tives had: in; view :with: respect: to paying the claims- for- improvements .by the prcsent - occupiers' of 'Native '.lands, Mr.' Carroll stated?that .liifund'.hadvbeen 'started. At present there'was some ..£14,000. in the hands of the Public Trustee,. from which the Natives secured interest/ at , the' rate of- 41 per. cent.''ln-.addition;" the cost'.'of adminisfration by ; the /P.nblid,' Trustee;r7; per cent.- •' could be -' devoted'-to;' a' ftrnd, ■ should' the atoiiiistration : be: taken 4 over 'by; the .Natives.These,- sums/would' form;, the nucleus of" a fund for, paying,; off the ■Pakehas "iinprovewient !i 'claiiiis, - and, .'' the ■Natives- hoped, further to:-receive, assist*;, 'an'ce' from (the, Government,. by means £1 advances, pledging,'the land as security.. The whole question would bo brtught bO' 'fore Parliament during next' feesSioni" >/: