SIR JOSEPH WARD

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2175, 13 June 1914, Page 9

SIR JOSEPH WARD

REMARKS ON NATIVE LANDS.

(By TeleKrapU.—Press Association.) . Auckland, Juno 12'. fair Joseph Ward returned last evening from a tour through the iNorth Auckland district, ajid, in' tlio course of nn interview this morning, said that ho had been delighted with the reception which ho had received. ' Wherever ho had gone tno people had been moat cordial, and he hud had big meetings everywhere. tiir Joseph Ward went oil to say that he noticed that criticism was already being levelled at him in connection with tue welcome extended to him by the Maoris at, Horeko and Hawene. A suggestion had been made, without the slightest justification, that he was opposea to progressive settlement of Aatiivo laud. It was surely hardly necessary to l declare that this was qnito coutiary to fact. Ho had made this abundantly clear wheil replying to tlio Alaoris at tlio places mentioned where, 111 welcoming liini in their customary graphic language, ■ they had referred to their own troubles. Ho fully realised that a complete settlement'of Nativo lands throughout the Dominion was essential to its ftituro progress and welfare, but, at tlio same time, ho had made it clear that proper consideration tor -Natives was equally essential, and that care would require to bo exercised that thoy w-oro not denuded of their land, particularly for speculative rnirposes. . Bona-fide settlement was one thing, and tlio purchase of Nativo land tor speculative purposes was quite another. _ Fictitious values and the enormous increase in prico brought about hy speculation would mean penalising future settlers for years to como. I