OUTSPOKEN VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1215, 25 August 1911, Page 2

OUTSPOKEN VIEWS.

NATIVE LANDS AND RATES, MAORI LANDLORDISM. Soul's outspoken views were expressed it flic Counties' Conferenro yesterday on the question of the exemption of Native lands from the imyinent of rates and other obligations iiup'jsc.l generally on settled county lumls. Tliu subject was introduced by thu El (haul County delegate, Mr. J. T. Quiim in whoso name stood a remit on tin order paper as follows:— "That the Hating Act bo amended so that tin; fuudji in the hands of the Public Trustee on account of Natives , should hn nwdc liable for payment of rates on all lands of t!nat Native, irrespective of from what source thee«' funds accrue." Six other remits were on the ordei paper, t.hp ceneral trend of which was that the Native lands should be put on the same footing in the matter <A rating as lands held by Europeans. yTho K-angitikei delrsjatb (Mr. It. K. Simpson) said his county had suffered very much iu not being able to Ret raits from Maori lands. If there really was ouch a thina as unearned increment the money spent on European lands was U-α----doubtedlv raising the value of the idle Native lands, . which were not paying anything towards this increase in valuation. Tho snssestion of his county was that in cases where Maori lands wero held iin by Native owners, the Government should pay the rates and make them a future chargo on the lands, . (Hear, hear.) The Opotiki County delegate (Mr. J. B, Gow) said what Mr. bimpson had referred to as K-angitikei's experience applied also to the Opotiki lands. The striLigliuß settlers were raising the values of the noncontributingv Native lands. Supposed remedial legislation passed last session was rendered inoperative by tho fact that the Native lands werq held in common, and each Native owner was a trustee, from wliom tho rates had to bo collected. This meant that sometimes two hundred Natives would have to be proceeded against for ono set of rates. Thus, though nominally tho Native land could bo rated, for all practical purposes, it remained exempt. He saw no reason why the State should not pay the rates and allow them to become a charge against the lands. ■ "It is hiijh time th(> Native is brought into line with tho European in every respect in rcgsrH to the rates on his land?," declared the speaker. The Whakatano Couity delegate npoke in a similar strain. His county suggested that a deputation from the conferor.co inteTview the Prir/e Minister, and endeavour to obtain a definite promise that Eomcthing be done this session.' The Native Lana Courts woul 1 allow no prosecution to be made unless every Maori interested in tLo block of land was served with a summons. This would tike montho to accomplish in many cases. In Wliakatanc, out of 1,000,0(10 acres, 700,000 were. Native lands—a proportion of non-con-tributing land that was very large. The chairtran: Is it all occupied? Tho delegate: "Yα, by Natives. . . . In the county there are jutt a few settlers," ho pr'ocesdo-1, "raising mousy for reads and bridges, and every pound they spend adds to the value of the Native land; and yet these Native landlords don't do anything to assist! (Hear, hear.) If once the Act were made workable in tho direction intended by Parliament it would solve the Native land difficulty altogether. In other words, if tho Natives ha<l to pay rates they would manage to I'd rovenui out of their lands. That waa tho key to Iho whole Nativo land difliculty."' (Hear,, heir.) The Wniroa County debate Eaid that out of .£I2OO of rate on Native lands, all Unit they could collect was £80. Mr. Foreman (Clifton, Taranakl), said that every local authority concerned, with native lands, knew that the legislation of last session relating to the payment of rate on the land was not worth the paper it-was written'upon. Mr.-Ma'fcliaut (Stratford) moved that odo motion he drawn up to include all tho remits on the order paper dealing with the qilcstiou.

This wns agreed upon. Tho following resolution was unanimously adopted:— "That the position in which local bodice are placed *in reference to the collection of rates on native lands is uimtif factory, and that tho provisions of the "Ratine Amendment Act, 1910," dealing with ttiess lands are- cumbrous, and. in tb» opinion of your committee, inefficient. We, therefore recommend:— "That the Government bo urged to effect such amendments to thi present law as will enable the local bcfly to enforce a. imminent for-rate* aeainct na'ivo lands that hnve pnswl fhrouTli th" Ourt, nncl (he title to which has J.wn asccrtiunc<l in a similar manner to that applying to Eurowan ratepayers. ; 'Tn ward to nalive lands administered bv Hie Public Tms'.i! under .il)« West Coast Settlement Reserve* Act. 1892. tho Trustee as statutory owners of nio lnml, be ctmwvorod to pav the ratra on tiny such lands out of nrry himU he "'ay hold from money accruing to th» -Kative or Natives who are primarily liable for tlie Tho Minister, replying , to a deputation from the conference later in Hw afternaon. sawl Hut n eood final of mHundwBtandin? existed in rceard to tho tion of the Act, and lie promi?«l to assist tho cotinfy councils.ns niueh n.j possible in ajciirins tho=e rates from Nahvo lands to which they were entitled.