MAORI LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1695, 12 March 1906, Page 2

MAORI LAND.

STATEMENT BY NATIVE MINISTER

At the Wellington Municipal Fire [ Brigade’s dinner the proposer of the toast of Parliament, referring to the Native land question, said the time had arrived for the leasing and utilisation of native landp, consistent with the obligations of the Treaty of Waitaogi. Tbo Native Minister, the Hon. Jas. Carroll, said it was the duty of all having the interests of the oolony at heart to take into consideration the question of the settlement of Maori lands. In the endeavor to briDg aboutj rapid settlement there was the daDger o overlooking the equities of the situation I but be made lohar. monise the relations between the two raoes, and make their aims one. With a little legislation he was sure they could bring about a settlement of the problem, which would be just to both sides. There was no harm in the resumption of natives laDds, so long as the same conditions were applied os were applied to lands belonging to Europeans which were resumed. No difference in any such respect should be made between the two raoes. The Hon. T. E, Macdonald said that the Parliament of the colony were prepared to deal fairly with native lands, bat tbs spectacle of eight and a-half million acres of native lands lying idle was one whioh was bad for the Maori people, and very bad indoed for the oolony as a whole,