MAORI LAND PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 841, 13 June 1910, Page 9

MAORI LAND PROBLEM.

SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER. (Br Telcirraiih—Press Association.'! Auckland, June 11. In the course of his.address to the chiefs at the Waahi Native Conference, Sir Joseph Ward said ho had something to say about the object of the meeting. They all knew that great changes had been made in the- law bearing upon the Native lands, of the Dominion. Ho was sure -that they recognised from what was going on that both Crown lands and Native lands still unoccupied coiild not any longer be allowed to remain so. They must be used and fresh railways and new roads were being made, providing facilities that were beneficial to both races. In the interests of Maoris as 'well as of the Europeans, the Natives must be brought up to date in tho matter of the settlement of the balance of the Maori lands ik* required 'for tho use of the Maoris themselves', it was far better for, the Maoris to realise that the legislation now upon the' Statute Book and tho machinery it_ provided for the settlement .of Native lands were- necessary, and it would bo better if it could hebrought into'operation in a quiet, practical way rather than to have it forced upon the Government by themselves by hard pressure from European claimants for land. It.w-as tho Maoris' clear duty in their own interests to help in making settlement possible, and''a great deal depended upon tlieir earnest cooperation. ' Tho Government had left them to' make a select:™ of lauds in the Waikato, and they had been at work making this selection for some time. They had sent a report to Parliament, which had been laid upon tho table of the House last year. That repeat set out that there were some 600,000 acres''of laud available for. European settlement in this part of tho country. The Government was prepared: to provido "money for the purchase of Native lands, to prepare other portions of Maori land for lease to Europeans/and also" to kind to Maoris who wished to farm theor lands for themselves money to .carry on 'operatioira. This being the case, there was no reason for delaying settlement any.longer than wa.s,,.necessary in order to have the preliminary work done properly. Sir Joseph Ward concluded l by wishing, the.Natives success in their conference with the Hon. Jas. Carroll, who, ho said, would leave a groat name behind him as a Native Minister. ■Mahuta thanked Sir Joseph Ward for having come to'advise them, and Mr. T. Pn.rata, M.P., added a word or two to the effect that he hoped tho Maoris would.bo guided by his advice.