NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1174, 8 July 1911, Page 6

NATIVE LANDS.

■ •» GOVERNMENT'S "SLIM" ACTION, SETTLEMENT HAMPERED. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.! Auckland, July 7. Considerable feeling has been aroused hero by tho misrepresentation conveyed in Sir James Carroll's speeches at Dunedin and Invercargill regarding tho Native land question. Tho position in connection with the rating of Native land is explained by an article in tlie "Herald." In thc course of tho article tho paper says:—lt is known by everybody that the local bodies are practically unable to collect rates from Native lands, aud it is generally assumed that this is becauso the consent of thc Native Minister is required for the enforcement of any judgment which may be obtained by tho local authorities. This was tho old Jaw, but under tho amended law there is an equally insuperable difficulty, but of a different character. The consent of tho Native Minister is no longer necessary, but exactly the same immunity from rating has been attained by craftily substituting an unworkable process lor a consent, which was never given, under the law as it now stands each individual owner of a block of Native land held in common is only responsible forms proportion of tho rate for which judgment may be obtained. We are told on behalf of a local body which has had a costly experience of this most unjust, and iniquitous state \>f affairs, that to enforco any such judgment "would tako years, as' tho local bodv would have to search all over the country hi tho owners, and i\ most cases tho costs incurred would be greater than the Natives' interests. Mr. Marshland, of Raglan County Council, gives an apt illustration:—"ln tho Raglan County," ho say?, "wo have ono section of'l2o acres, owned by over twenty Natives. So in a case like that, what would be tho cost of-enforcing tho judg; uient against eack individual owner?" Yet every individual owner gains by tho local expenditure, which necessarily improves Native land as much as it improves pakcha land. By the "slim" action of the Government in yielding tho shadow, but witkkoldiug tho substance of reform, Native lands cvado legitimate local rating, and tho progress of settlement in tho districts affected is most seriously hampored. That tho matter is of the greatest importance is recognised by such an impartial authority as the Auckland Crown Lands Commissioner. Mr. Goldsmith has (old us that the existence of intervening blocks of Native laud makes it practically impossible to open up areas of Crown lands, and he has not hesitated to say that Native lauds should bo made to contribute a fair shore towards the roads, which would increase their value, while making Crown lauds accessible. The truth is that tho country districts are generally handicapped and frequently crippled by a policy which can only bo successfully defended in far Dunedin. Sir James Carroll protends to think that racial animosity is being stirred up by northern demands for justice ■. As a matter of fact, animosity is being created by tho wilful and deliberate determination of the Government tc saddle upon our country settlers tlie wholo cost of that reading and development in tko result of which Native landowners share. This is election year, wken great public, questions have some prospect of leceiving pub--lie attention No trick or evasion by which a European landowner secures an advantage against his fellow citizens is considered worthy of applause. Why, then, should the country tolerate tricks :fnd evasions by which Native landowners aro favoured at the expense of our pioneering settlers? It is alleged that tho Native lands aro the aboriginal inherit-. ance, : but they are lands which have never been used, have ever lain in wilderness and waste, and will only bo used when the pakeha clears them, plants them, and farms them. The Native lands havo literally no value whatever apart from European settlement, mid the least that can bo done in return for the enormous values thereby accruing to them is that they should pay rates for their necessary roads as well as rents to their privileged owners.