MINISTERS IN HAWKES BAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1661, 30 January 1913, Page 6

MINISTERS IN HAWKES BAY.

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. ' STATEMENT BY PREMIER. J V THE ; NATIVE LAND' PROBLEM. DEPUTATION TO MR. HERMES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ~..."•-'"' Hastings, January .29. The! Prime Minister and the Hon. W. H. .Hemes were occupied during- the fore-, noon' receiving' deputations.' ' :•.' ■ Replying to the Tresideut of the Cham- ■■■■ her of Commerce, who asked for tho os- ' tablishment of. an Agricultural College '. in Hawkc'sßay, Mr. Massey said that it was the intention' of tho Government to establish, one college in each island, «md in the North .Island first, because the South-Island -already had a valuable lnbUtutioV.in Lincoln College, the Government had been hampered by the financial commitments of its predecessors, and was at .present unable to do more than '.-' collect information' as to the workiug ot , ■ the agricultural .colleges in other countries.-, Tho site for the Is.orth Island Col-. ] s «e was as yet unchoscn and, the claims of Hawko's Bay would; bo, fully considered,,but he would not commit the Cab..•inot'to any promise. '•'. . '■ : , In reply to another deputation which Stated that the Frimley Canning Works had been compelled this year: to ' close • <lown,owing to shortage of -labour, the ■'■' Prime Minister', said that- his Government Iliad/ done :a--,great deal more, than had , been'dono':for, many,years ,tb induce a proper, class of,- immigrant's.-.to. come to New Zealand 'and the Government had ■met with.a certain amount of success. ■No-difficulty had.been experienced in se- ■'■"■ lecting suitable' immigrants, and tho last threo or four lots had been a particularly good-class; .and -would, make good set 7 tiers. ,:What;..was;. panted, was. agricultural'settlers/ and-small farmers,to. take, •up tho lands of tho Become producers. The Government .was. following tho policy, which, it .had announc- '■■■ ed—iiottfo reduce wages, but to keep the, '-• '■various-industries", going. , .Bearing., ,-in 'mind the financial liabilities of the Do-'-minion-it was necessary that the population should.,be. largely, increased, and idle lands brought into -occupation. The ' Government did ,hoti intend; to, interfere With educa,tton,„hiit, .to, provide, tility to.-'get,it..-Domestic.servants.were , nil too 6carco/;and ;they also were .being ' • induced to.co'mo.to the Dominion., Taranalci Te-XJii, heading a-deputation : tti Maoris to tho: Hon. W.H. Hemes, '' taid that the-Natives- were as potters ■clay in ilio.-.Minister's hands,-and ,it ; was uior 'him to say-liovy-their lands-should . ; be dealfcivritlv,!H© 'pointed oiit that the ~' Owhaoko, and, Koan Blocks were in, the ■■■'Ihands'o'f the Government. for' sale or ' ; lense, and. that tho Natives could'not .' .'deal with- lands in any. way. -Yet ■ they : - were -,Tafed for. them. He desired the

Government.to; take the ' waste.land of ..-'the Maoris," .p.nrchase' : it, and hold the :'."■' money • for expenditure" on trust for iiu- ■', ■'•'. provements .'on'' ". other \Native -lands and >'.'". for 'the'benefit-'of the Natives,'.but. not to / .'pay it over;to.them.''''. ; .'■•;;'' V .' , -.Mr. A. L; D. Fraser gave an-, interesting " -'liis(orical;,sketch .jOf-..what.. v■;. with regard to this' block of •; 700,000 acres." ; ; It had been ..confiscated from tho'Maqris , ~.;in' .-'the • 'sixties, ; but: '.it .w^as. sub- ' . ,sequeiitl.f- found' that, loyal'''Natives: :htid ■;\ ... had their \ land- filched from - thorn.; - A . . commission, was: subsequently; set up 'to find 'out the , loyal 'Natives' position, and ',' i' the result 'was that large.areas,' ranging ■■': from-JiO.OQO'hcres-.te 5000 and 0000 acres,' ■ were set -,aside. The loyal .-Natives. were 'huddled ;into'..the block, and the result •■■■•vwa'iichads.-'.There;was.no Nativo.; title to' i- :' iWas/jtotjjpossible.-to par-, '■■; .''•>':tition. ; it;'-si's,th'e.Nntlv«s>had. r 'no occupa-Vtioniv-righti'-.nori-had they.;..any, ancestral- ;: Tight., mTo: illustrate .the -importance :of .':'•' dealing-with' these lands, he pointed out : : ', that tho -main arterial road to Gisborne ''v.- and the .East Coast railway, went .right- , •■': through' the'.'block.': .The ''best method .-.would be to turn it all into' one. block, i inquire who'thi owners were, and,if they :'. wanted to/sell.;-and (if : fib) acquire the .land, and'hnld the' money .for the Natives. ■'■'.'■; 'Mr; 'Ferries, in replying,vsaidi that no "J.; Native Minister, could do • much without the- Maori;., Ho proposed ..to ~'.' alter tho law. with .regard to Native niftt- : . •'.. "tersi' : l and'.': i(ny - 'altkratioil proposed 'he , wodld submit, to Vprohiiri'ent.-Natives he- '" fore .placing, it before 'Parliament:' ; No f'law^iWould'be satisfactory, .without -their; V-.V; -.assistance to put. it through . the' House. ; ; : i The : question : of,.titles was 'one' 'of/the ' . ' greatest \ difficulties. ■''- Ho thought'. that ' the lending, of Money could'he arranged / if-the titles fixed npi/He hoped to ,: ;''•;..'.'provide a cheap way. for ; each Maori to v.;; got -a title-to his land; 'He iwo'i very V to find, in',the Bay.of Plenty,' ,: n. general;desire for siibdivision'and the- ; ncqtiiaitiori.' of'titles., He wotild sei that- :, v. .Courts-,aAd,;Surveyors were' Provided. to ■';■';. partition, the land; Bethought.that the, •'. .'.,T,amV:'.Ac't';; pfoTidedl.tliOt'mn'nhine.rT 'for ...::' -ilealing.'with (the request of .Taranaki' re- ';;:: gardin^ihe'.purchase of Native lands and :• ; thei holding of nionev for';the Natives. If :. ■ the Minister for ;. Xaflds'.'.the' la'n'ls could -be'disposed of .■; . ■as.Jsiiggested. It. was,+he- desiro :of the '." Government' : to bring tho\ two. wees tos" They'.would ■endeav''ur,,.to have - \;ihe jsaroß lawjfor pakehojas Maori. , For- '•.-■ had; tried.' to - separata ;•■■'■ ;'the ! 'Natives. -was'now; rnb-siWe for a '.-,' Native to divest, himself of Native diffi- : :CTltieS'anil 'become'a'vlhironenn.V;: Land ■" vested in the Land. Board could now bo .'-. tokonback and-revested in the. Natives. -•■ . -Harm .had, by locking up lands. •in .tho boards. Now .-there was power fo'' .' the Natives .to get; their -land .and d'a' with it itheniselvs. .'When .they wantpd -.; anything,done, if they.let him know in Wellington, lie would do; what'he could ;for them; ;V. '■< ■': ■' Cx -•'■'-.'..,- <