A LOST OPPORTUNITY

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 10

A LOST OPPORTUNITY

THE MAORI AND HIS LANDS. TE WAHAEOA'S PETITION.

(By C. A. Youno)

' : has been' made td induce the Goyemment. to. depart-'f ro'm 'its .procrastinating -and: f atu-ousiNative-'land policy.l Through his Ex:cellenoy..tho.:Gbvern6r,,thi>:influeritiaLand : .'.to :which; iagain' by the■,■ pour-: ■t«ay:(b£-h'i6 Excellency, ••a,-rep.ly- has been. rcceiyed.:.;-,This I'reply ;, appews I in; ■: tho "Kaliiti;;Gazette,"., and'-it .conveys ; :other, example.: i)f. specious .pleading in lirritating , :'and ;:i unsia'tesmanlike : : Nativo 4and^policy::put' forward 'by.:the Native' .-ianuY, •.Department.'vjHere:.is'• ;a 'Native 'chietypresentinff, :a^ by-. :2(>,oM,>:'o'ffthb; Maori ;peoplp^a ; iotal ■being; increased'daily) , so: that it; promises soon : 'tq!;• represent'.'the;; desires. chief ; who has •^ngadii"'ijEo"/ 'its responsibilities:.'iii.-accordance, with tho" obligations.'' of' pnrj-Cliristian' , '-ciyiiisation|' .wh'oHdo'sif^! ; of' pfbgtess;haiid. iii• ■ his pakcha : his,part ; in;;the ..development of tho ..Do-■;

v -At : present -the Maori knows .'he, has: a share l :in'-"commonswith .others..:-or; 1 his •tribe-inva'.blpeklof;land," b\it,: : as the'.Gov-. ,efhtnenti,wiir,riot. partition-the'block;:he 'does' "nbt'i khow irhere'his'sharo is.':, H°. lias.'^bt.-wenia '■patch ;to gTew. food :upoii thiifc his' fri.Ofld s ' way:'not -also .help- them-'; selves" off j-so'i in this , 'destitute'.condition,' ho "falls an: easy' victim-.to thoGoyorn-' lricntjjaiiye Land officiall'v-But he.hates.'the .officialj'ahd'.is Sick?:df,':'.the':."ilimness": i bf;. .thof' Govern-' monf.in;p<Qsmg':legislafion:.through''Par-. liamerit for .the. of ..his lands •—wHich.they,.say-as'nofcan infringeinent' of sthe'l'reaty.jof' , Waitangi.*:",,Therefore' ■ this';;chief desires ;: to ; ,set;:intb,:iinmediat? actionVa;scheme. that ,will' ; continue .where' the Government"teft;off iri!the,individual'; isatibn of the Native lands; to •the"' larids,>vtnd ; riii~ settle -tho'-;; owners ■thereof individually. :upon sp : much vas .'theyi'CanSutilisej.jto .provide .landless ■Jlaoris/.with: bn''lease;:and; to .proVide'forj'all isurplnsflands;tocta,leased or 6i^d^;^akeha^neigj^|jur's.';. : *jJ-^v;.J:; f *; ;i^^j^^rl3\'b«ir;qii;^:^4^;:.^ i V;: : rv ; ;.;i;ivJ^

general ifeaturcs'of this scheme of,are : .to, and .in, accoidancoAwith.'recomniGndationai ; of: the.' Land i Com-;; : , missl6ni''.Trhieh' were''promised to.;be■ car-'-: ■ried /into ! 'cffiect Sunder'.the-Native; Land J4ra>ndmentX : Act'Vof':l9!lS,' , ,but;were•stag-, ''ndted:'by.-.the 'Native""eiinister's ■;taihoa: policj , ; >;,Tho; difference,):bet\veen' ;the: : Gpv-jernfflentjajld'-the;'Maoris!;is that'the.lat-ter:dcsifo'to-carrytPut'this-sphemo; pf lanid settlement themselves. V]fnde^d,'. : jn ahticipatibriipf- being .-permitted ,! .to, do; 60,'; they, have' be?n sfeadily working for some, ; : timo : -i>ast, ; -;and Have^^-cleared"krgevardas,, whichv ai'ts-'iiow funder'.ciiltivation—as: may, be.'seenin the ;, 'Waikato arpiind-r6a,.-ii: the Native Settlements 'near' Tali- ; "and many J places '' •,'::•:'■ •':■,- >.;Tne'Maoris;desirp,.to'.settle.iupon their. '■^ap^''iwdfir;':the':adininistiatioil''a : iid;mail-. ■■]k^m'e)it 1 "pfiil ,! workingvepmmittees' elected'bylhjipus'and ■/itib'e^i.'/iW);''^rpviyQn:. : v : ..Wherebyl'p'a)ceha; neighbours 1 may-be , eii- : liOpjliftgjd'-to.'-Settle .among;• the;jlladris; ; [.■end.'tliero : .is-no- iiiita .tp'r'jieipetuate.tlib 'sy'sto'm.of .cprnmunisini'-CKcop't in the case bt'such-lands'as , : are not worth//parti tion;ins.^:S:' v v-s:j;!.SSii.i'"K -$M ;#:•«;':■.:;: J?~:%."Why,'- , then; in-f.tho.:name;.of. pregressi" ih6uldvGqvernraent;disd6urage;ilns desire 'bX-,tne'part;pf.thSLMapris : :,to'- : settle:upPn. tHeir. : ' , land?.J:-.To-rouseitKe'm. l .to'/a senSe . of; itheir .'■• obligations to. ■ the/ Country -■; is i ;Surdy^;tlieJ ; ■ ;-A^; ! V , -.--;^- I\'-- .V-;-:/^ v - •>/-:-/;; ;.^Tlib/Governihentjhasiever claimed.that, •it; has dene vmuch/.for-'.the iMapris./ibut; I :given;ii;th'«: way pf ! : fbod in-times. Pf.: ecarcityil-in the -way. of |?ffifedii^-'ad«cy-lii-.tito(s;,pf;;ejid?mic',';BidK;-:. , catlon, has been" repaid .a; tliousandfqld'in • texts. ;The 'pnly.:real'iassistance : : that has j partmepfc 'and;-'thij. ifas.anjfperatively. ne- ; icesiary ' in .Itimds"; of as :-much; f pr< the ■ itheV.white, members'of * tho; co"mrhunity- : as "for ■ ".the ■^Maoris;!and; : rio#,the?'Native Health De-, ; ;partaent ■ is;;beirig; "retrenohed"! ffi ■.;:..-;■ \ Some, iftnomalics. ( y J

IV- Can' .thevQoVerhment advance; any.. rea- ,; sonable::' i e3icußeaf6f MKoHCbatiiiuance;--, of. ,lthe,;Maoris: in: thaiouter:' darkness.:;; 0i ,, : communisinf'-Can^.tuey: , . , excuse; :the>v in- , consistency', of /maiataining. ; aj system i; of civilising education;-/ttlnlS.' all weir. legis:; latipn ''continues ; the■ Maori', in : the permci-. ous social': system"-"of' communism '('-. How. 'can '■ it;be■'expeoted.;the':Maori..can, come, to 1 the-'surface of ciyilisation: under'::his. present'!disabilities •-:, ThP Goyernmeht -'.wiU; eey ■ ,thp ■:Maori ;■ but what "that Parliamentary:, representation: is'.worth'-was clearly : shoffn-by the .a'p-; petti'■■iputO.forw'aj'd-;.by. .-"Pepere•Eketono: against the.alleged'inlpfinal-election:;-,pii •kenare .Kaihau,''which'.U-fiso. j --wa3 .heard; beforei : tne>Supreme Court last : year. : : ; .It 4s'"'alse';demonstrated '.iii^the^cpnduct'.of; the jMa6ri:represeritatiyes-'in ■Parliament,, "where: their'vptes! alrei-absolutely.: )at:.the; cbnimand\pf-.th!p ■ Government.-,; ■;■:;!:;:'-;'!;'.; ■--'It is-somewhat Beyond; the "TtTiter'spre-, sent' -parposev , - but-he-'cannpt-refrain from, -asking-tud'cicrgy : pf-.the :yanous\religibus. ?dendnriDStions; now,.they ;can" reconcile if ;with; their 'consciences 'to continue , ;to edu-' cate'the Maoris : in a'system, of Christian. timeVconniv'ing.'with thP":Government in .maintaining ■■them!-.in'.a■ '-state■■'of icbmmunistio -dork;n<>EB^.;"i;;';:':.:;": -••■.■■■■ :.ii : <' : -^'::'' ■.■!;,' the , .' Government, iTeligioiiists,-'edxicitibhiste/i'-'ißiprrWOTenv-Othat'r.'.vih'ucli-... talUed-of■ '.Xbring'v-Maori;, party 'have, -yet established- "a : newspaper! as ; an .effort : to 'extend: i the.'■Maori's- genpral!;■ (Sducatiqn-, : :and :to :the surface: of .social, lifc'.-'.'i'hoiwiiter.is pleased to,be able:to add that -thisiis being.'done, by-the>\Vair ■ kato: chief, - Tupu' 'rtunga-kawa, Tβ; Wahafba,' and:his lollowing.n. It ;is/not ;b!ere: 'intended" to-:i'advocate >that. the :Gqyernment saould'laUow :this"'Maori'; organisa-,; "tipfl.'s'th'o'-'ftbsoliite-. control,inr the-'disposal ; bf-i their .lands, : '.but ,that-it\.6hpuld:; encbui'agp and assist it' in the efforts being ' mado 'by the' , Mlapris - themselves 'towards .■tlierr.vs , ocial-.vanU : ;'.pOliticaL;.improveiheiit.: With-the experience:of the past'to guide !us;sit'.:.w6uld to ' permit; ; any : of •■' the , Maoris to .impoverish; themselves by-'tho'' xinrestrioted 0 sale . of N th6ir''lands,: and so become a.burdenjto 'th 6: State.'What the Maoris'desiro.is ab-Eol-nte.-irtedoin in -.dealing-'; -with-,: theiriands, 'under4the:-.advice,-'..and:-with .the. hsSistanco ..of, r the Governinent, ! But with!- , '.out-'ttpflye/'intpifeto^ :teadihg;Slr!ngs' j "Not : .Wanteci.' ■ '■'•^■/^v

' Those';%hb:khbw: the' Maori- well are awarp■ that there - is. no necessity for - thq Govornmeht-to Continue.:'him in,leading; strings; >. -''ITiq "llaori;knows 'good-' land, ■when he-owns-it as. we'll as- any.-.pakeha, and' is as'.shrowd.-ihV.'bargaining-as . a i Scotchman.' - Let. anyone.,try, to .get the bettor ■ of hiin ' in and the issue will prbve that'• the Mla'ori- , . can well, although-he niay never-,havo-bcen at any'school..,lt is'sheer.: nonsense ./enacting, spe.cial.laws : for his ? p'rotecHon\ ■ ■; The"pakelitf:law; willprpve good enough fpj':,,hlm j: and ho will '•be'-,bettor served by-y a,: pakcha :Parliamchtary representative than he.is being "sbrved.'i'J)y Maori or,- half-blood fepresenta- ; tivesi:--All he needs is.-that the land reserved for him-;6ha11,.b6. entailed, as is the case with'.the--lands of- the.-landed .gbnt'ry in Great Britain., Whatever reason Government .may have'for'. this ; so-called of,the ltabri> it does not appear on the surf ace.'.-The Maori is.not grateful for'it, .and': certainly it;;;,jsi-slowly; : -but 'surely destroying .tho'Maori raco.. , -;.■ ■■.■•:'lt is submitted that,.-if;■•:Government had long ago'mado. an'; honest effort to ; settle the Maori ''people int'. sufficiency "of'their;lands,,-theyrwouldi.havo bcconio so 'much; engaged, and interested in tho duties'.and'Pbligations'.of.social lifp. that' nbthiiig'..wotild.'',ever haye been heard of the niiiny petitibns'.'wi.th which they havo beguiled their too.many -leisure hours. Idleness fosters : the" seeds-',of'discontent,' 'communism facilitates-the-spread of discontent," and the . Government:; is now. rcokoning.iUnd.rhas.'still:..to-.reckon,' with-

Nemosis; because of their supineness and procrastinating ■'Native laud "'policy; • "'. ■'■■ Consequently.' the ond "of tho -.time of petitions is ,not "yet,, and as .tho Govern-, iuent has again ■'(ieclareil tho opportunity to ; bring'sweet reasonableness" to bearupon the grievances set: forth in .the petition alluded to;'and has again attempted to dcludo the Maoris with specious and fallacious platitudes,' the' Natives have determined" to appeil .to,-Caesar., By.-the. time that appeal ■is niade, thoir'petition; in nil .'probability,, will..have.been subscribed to": by:a united , race.;.• Tho : Maori is shrewd, enough to understand that Native affairs only come under. consideration in' Parliament when pakehn. affairs have "reached an . impasse, and when tho pakeha.desires to sequester more of the Maori's land. He also believes that there is seldom if over,evident any.honest desire to improve the Maori's social 'and political ..position; Thcreforo ho nowde-; sires to mate.an effort to:;help.,himselt.