NATIVE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1862, 17 September 1906, Page 3

NATIVE LAND.

THE DOCTRINE OF FREETRADE. SOME REMARKS BY SIR ROBERT STOUT.

[(Special to Gisborne Times.)

Wellington, last nigh

It is plain that tho freotrado system as understood in New Zmland has not rtaolted in placing all citizens of the oolony cn an equality in obtaining Maori land, and the Maori landowners in many cases have Dot realised tbe best prices for their land". This is, shortly, tbo result of S'.r Robert Stout’s investigations into Maori land dealing in connection with claims of Humphries agtiuat the Public Trus Bs ~ jj tia-3 been said,’’ Sir Robert Stout continues “ that frretmda h tbo ideal system of dealing with the disposition of Maori lands It is only tho purcbnsoc who is either a favorite with the Maori or wbo by himself or his agents is a past master in wha t a former Royal Commission has termed Oriental finesse who ha ß been successful in his dealiDgs with Maori lands.

Further, there aro difficulties of title that ore oftou raisod, Sowotimos the land is under restrictions. Thero is muoh dieoon lent that rostriotiona should bo rotnovod in some oases and not iu otboi'B. Tho rouiody is to uiako frootrado an notuolity, and this would bo accomplished if no disposition of Maori laud whether by salo or morlgago woro permitted unless tho disposition woro by public ouotiou under tho supervision of tho Commissioner of Crown lauds for tho district whore tho land was situated. .Duo notioo of tho iuiontiou to dispose of tho laud would havo to bo given. Under this eohooio any land to bo dispose cl of after t o approval of Maori Laud Hoard had boou obtained would fetch its market value, nud all porsous would have equal opportUDlties of booomiug pmobosors. Tho oasy way in which many persons who aro dealing in nativo Innds got thoir Iransaotion validated by Parliament —a practice wbion has grown for tho past 20 years should, I think, necessitate some consideration as to how suoh concessions should in fuluro bo granlod. At presout thero is a Nativo Land Aot pas-od every year, S noo 1886 thero havo boon about tifty Aots passed doaling with nalivo lauds. Many of thorn aro statutes mado gonoral in form, but whioh aro really meant to give relief to private persons in thoir doalings with Maoris. If any roliof that was to be granted to any individual was given by a private or personal Aot thoro would bo a great gain ”