NATIVE LAND QUESTION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1849, 1 September 1906, Page 3

NATIVE LAND QUESTION

AN EAST COAST PETITION

to Times.) Wellington, last night. Oac hundred and sixty natives in ihe East Coast electoral diet' ret are petition ing Parliament through Mr Ngata to pass legislation to ass's* them in proving and farming portions ol their land, aod so enable them to pay the rates, taxes, and other liabilities imposed by law. Com* plaint is made that legls’ation from 1892 onward has all been in the direction of expediting the settlement of naMve lands by sale to the Governor or private persons, or by lease, no attention being paid to tbs aspect of the Maori farming his own land. Meanwhile the liabilities on the Maori bave been increasing—the Noxious Wei da Aet, rating, half post of frnorng, sub-divid-iDg for scenery preservation, etc; but no provision has been made to assist the native owners to bear the burdens plaoed upon them by tbo development of the oouatry. The wish of the Maori with rrgatd to the remainder of their lands was to b 9 able to farm them and make use of them, instead of disposing of them in such a way as to enable them Go live io psraonal idlep»ss. Njw, on acoount of the uieven distribution, the majority of tho bapus have a very 3ma'l *>rea of laud, and a great portion of that is valueless, and the Maoris fear that the best will betaken first to satisfy the hunger for land. During all the years that farming has been the mainstay of the country. tbs Maoris have not beon taught to wo*k their lands or to raue stock. Toe young people earnestly desired to bo assisted with money to work the jands of their onoes-ore, and they asked the Hoijss to pass a law to provide means for furnishing them with funis nn mortgage, or to lease their land i to other Maoris io lasly a-cmoplished ways, aod so e ooourage the g 'ow.b o' habiis of i ouilit 3 among the Maori peoili.