NATIVE LANDS ADMINISTRATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1942, 26 November 1906, Page 3

NATIVE LANDS ADMINISTRATION.

j(To the Editor Gisborne Times Sir, —The session closed without the dreaded calamity of another Native Land Act. The member for the Eastern Maori Division, in an interview reported in the Auckland Star, appears pleased with himself, and thankful for small mercies. May he succeed in hia every effort to better his race. Unfortunately the curse which afflicts the Maori people is want of unity. Each of the four electorates are divided by tribal. animosities and local interests. Petitions by the score appear i.n the House of Kepresentatives each year, to receive the same stereotyped reply, “ This. being a matter of policy, the Committee have no recommendation to make.” The Maoris do not appear to be .able to realise the force and power of combination. They do not observe that the Trades and Labor Unions can force the Legislature to pass such laws as they desire, and even their leaders fail to support and encourage any efforts being made to help their people. So far we look in vain for the coming champion of the race. In January last The Pipiwharauroa, a Maori monthly newspaper, published at Gisborne, issued an appeal to the Maoris to revive the Kc.nhitanga-m-Waitangi; after alluding to the Ture Muru (lit,, Confiscation Act) i.e,, the Maori Land Settlement Act of 1905, it goes on to say: “It is for this Union of the tribes, when convened, to arrange for a delegation to go to England and carry to the parent land the news that the treaty of Waitangi has been trampled upon. In our opinion it is a just grievance to cany to England. It is an exceedingly important thing to the Maori people that the Kotahitanga should be set up, to strive, and watch, an '* rightly,

the laws that aro mado d( aling with the remnants of our lands. It is the custom of Europeans to unite in bodies for various purpose, such as Labor Unions, Kail way Leagues—unions of all classes of European workers, for tho purposo of obtaining their desires, yet, horo wo are, the Maoris, with no organised body, no union, to protect us against tho pskeba. Unitod wo stand, dividod wo fall, etc.” '1 liis appeal had no offoct upon tho Maori race. Why? A most praiseworthy effort to sorvo tho Maori people was started \iith tho last Maori Hocord newspaper, a journal devoted to tho advancement of tho Maori people, in July, 1905. This is supported and encouraged almost ontiroly by pauoha and half-castes, Why ? Recontly tho Maori Rights Conservation association was called into being by a few pakeha and half-castos who love the Maori people, and the old and young Maori parties hold eloof. Why ? Appeals have been mane to the editor and proprietors I of tho Pipiwharauroa, and the leaders [of tho old and tho young Maori parties, to combine with theso varioua eiforts in an agitation to induce the j legislature to relieve tho Maori people of tho grievances they suffer under, I and to improve the social condition of the race generally, but these appeals are treated with contemptuous silence. Again why ? Much could bo written in elucidation of these Why’s, but surely the facts alone speak eloquently. When the future brings answers to theso why's it is to bo hoped that tho Maori race will have bonefitod, but the outlook is not hopeful. One thing is certain, tho present is tho timo for action, tho necessity is pressing. Again in the dying minutes of a moribund session has tho Native Minister been per--mitted to add to his already autocratic i powers by rushing through legislation which is a disgrace to the Statute Book of the colony. Clauses 7 and Bof the Ture Muru Act of last year were the first direct infringments of the Treaty of Waitangi, and which were apparently intended to try how far sn .u legislation might be carried with impunity, for worse has followed in clauses 2,8, and 4 of the' looselyworded and ill digested Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment of the recent session ; and this without protest from tho representative of the young Maori party in the House. Possibly at their next annual conference at Rotorua or elsewhere the philanthropic educators of tho party will read ethical papers, and much vaporising of edifying ideas will be reported in the newspapers, but while they grasp at the shadow they are losing the substance; for the Maori’s land is being taken from him, he is sinking into an inert, hopeless, and defiant condition, end no effort is being made by tho Government, nor any old or young Maori party, to rouse him into action to help himself. The trend of all recent legislation is to take his lands from him whilst striving to allay his aDxiety with vague promises of settling him on a homestead of his own in the sweet bye and bye. Surely the latter should be done first, and

then dispose of his waste lands afterwards, Give him work to do, not rents to rot upon. Therein will be his salvation. Men of action are the need of the hour, not dreamers, theorists, or idealists. Is there any unity of design among the leaders? Go the Native Minister and the four Maori representatives see eye to eye ? Hare the old and young Maori parties a policy ? If they have, and would publish it, possibly many well-wishers could take a hand and help. No, ail is vague. There might be some hope if a strong man arose among the race, and maintaining an independent political attitude, stood forth as champion of his race. Such a man would gather all sympathisers to help his cause, Strange that the race which produced Tuwhakairiora, Hongi, Rauparaha, and Waharoa should have become so degenerate ! So far as one can guess, the Native Minister’s Native'Land Policy is to lease much of the Native lands to the pakeha, the Maori owners to receive the rents after much filtration. Vain delusion! Can anyone who knows the Anglo Saxon race believe any pakeha will cultivate Maori lands during 50 or 66 years through two generations, with all the associations which go to make what we call home, and then hand back the homestead to the original Maori owners ? Ask the man in the street this question and he will laugh in your face. Aro the leaders of the Maori people blind ? Do they pot sec that the Labor Unions, having demanded that the land of the colony shall be nationalised, i. 0., to be hold in feo simple by the State for the use (not ownership) of the people, the Government aro now doing their best to carry that demand into effect? If the Government win their way there will bo no more freehold tenure, and as the freehold and native land questions arc in the same boat, it follows, as certainly as night follows the day, that the Maori being a freeholder, his lands will pass to the State, Meanwhile the way is bing made easy under clauses 7 and 8 of the Maori Lands Settlement Act of 1905, which permits the Government to forcibly take their lands from the Maori owners and vest them as an caiuto in fee oimplo in fie Maori Lind Boards, and will lens's shorn to the pakeha for the same term, 65 years, a 3 it provided for by the present Government Land Bill. And in course of t ! m’, heigh presto, an Aot of the Logtsl dare empowers the Go* vornment to relieve the Maori Land Boards -aDd there you aro, Everything fio the pakeba hko his clothes, and the Maori ia left oat in the oold, naked, to starve or otherwise on his papakainga of —bow muoh shall we say?—4 to 25 aores. . I am sufficiently patriotic to admit that this policy, whethor undor freehold or leasehold tenure, is the best for thecoloDy, bat in tho moenwhile I am pleading for the Maori. He, too, mast farm his people into a union, elaborate a policy for the betterment of his rooe, and fight for tys own land, otherwise ho potishos; and his present leaders would have helped on the dobaolo. —I am, etc., 0. A. YOUNG, Soorotury, M-.ori Rights Conservation Association.