NATIVE LANDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 15

NATIVE LANDS

QUESTION OF EATING. At Thursday's sitting of the Dominion Confercneo of the New Zealand Farmers Union, Mr. J. Boddie (Auckland) moved: "That Native lands whicn benefit from the expenditure of local rates or Government giants, whether tho titles are individualised ' or held in common, should bo placed on the sanio footing aa regards 6uch rates as land held by Europeans." Mr. Boddie said that the questiou wab very importaut, and was only thoroagbiy understood by those brought face to face with the problem. He blamed the Native Minister for laxity in the matter, and added that the Minister was even more tainted with tho "Taihoa" complaint than his predecessor, Sir James Carroll, at whom the expression was so often hurled. M*. P. Keegan (Auckland) seconded and endorsed Mr. Boddie's observations. Ho appealed for greater sympathy from the South Island dolegates in the matter. He remarked that in the Urewera County, Rua had grown cocksfoot as good us was raised on Banks' Peninsula. Mr. H. M. Campbell (Hawke's Bay) opposed the motion. He considered that it proposed something which would not be fair to tho race for whom wo were in a position of guardians, and which no Government would adopt. Mr. A. A. Itoss (Auckland) said tho only solution of the question was to put the Native on a, similar footing to tho European. The Maori was not a child; he could drive n very effective bargain. Mr. Boddie said that thu Maori had been spoon-fed to his own detriment. The salvation of the race lay in work. Tho motion was carried, with only one opponent.