OUR LAND LAWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1970, 4 January 1907, Page 4

OUR LAND LAWS.

I’ll 10 NATIVK LAND QUKSTION. XKIOD FOR PROGRICSSIVE PO IVIOV. The Hon. Dr. Findlay, the recently appointed Attorney-General and Colonial Secretary, wlm arrived in Auc.khuul on Saturday ovoniiiß. was mfftfvinwoil in regard to tlio lana (|uos .- ' ..,.1 „i so in respect to tlio native K attention seated that lie was not SJSSfSSAfi.S^^ troversial questions involved ill the Government’s Land Hill, hut beloro the meeting of Parliament ho would nrobably attain visit Auckland, and lie mittht then comply with a request to address a public meeting on tins groat question ol the day. PAST LAND LEGISLATION.

In the course of a lew general remarks on land legislation l)r. h nid--1,, y said:—“AVhat peopleoutside New Zealand wonder is how the huid question can have become so acute. Wo forget that wo have, roughly, about three million square miles of land it Australia and New Zealand, and that about 0110-third of this consists of fairly fertile country, this is five times the area of Franco, and the population of these colonies is considerably less than five millions, whilst Franco contains over ten times tnat number of people. Yet we have apparently reached an acute stage of the land question. It New Zealand alone is taken there is even greater cause for surprise at the existing position. With our area of tortile land and the sparsoncss of our population, it seems incredible that people fit lor, and desirous of. going on tlio loud cannot get it. Wo cannot understand our land problem without some knowledge of the tortuous and devious wav that the eourso ol land legislation has taken. The land question, above all things, Is a party question, ami it lias been the. permanent line of party cleavorago in New Zealand since tiio first Parliament met m I Sol-

THIO NATIVE LAND QUESTION Speaking of the native hiiulques tion ,aiul the proposed new policy or tii<! (loverninent in regard to alien lands. Dr. Findlay said :—■“Tim area of alienated Crown lands fit for settlement in the Nortli Island is only a fraction of tlio area of the good native land. The problem of how to successfully deal with these native lands | is, therefore, of tar greater importanco to the North Island than tlio question of tho disposal of the remnant of unalienatecl Crown lands. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the importance of promptly and effectively bringing these large areas of native lands within the reach of desirable settlers, Since I left Wellington the other day, I have- seen largo tracts of good land, which whci> formerly held fro mtlio Maoris on uncertain tenures by Europeans, grew excellent grass and carried sheep well. , Owing, however, to the difficulty of' getting titles, and tho uncertainty oi the tenure of tho loases, they have been allowed to lapse, and much of this country has now fallen back to its primitive condition and is produc}n<r nothing. Europeans do not find it'worth their while to attempt to do anything with the land under the present unsatisfactory coiuli t ions, and the native owners are either too incompetent or too idle to cultivate it themselves. In addition to these areas, I have information of other blocks elsewhere, in regard to which the same enormous economic waste is going on. If the premier’s scheme is carried out, and some part of the nearly six million acres of unoccupied native lands in the North Island which are fit for settlement are placed in the market, there will be a boom before the North Island, and particularly the Auckland district, to which the' history of tho past presents no jiarallc’ PAST EFFORTS AND FAILURES. “The native land problem is not a new one,” continued the Minister. “In 1894, when the native land laws were in part consolidated and in part substantially altered, over a score of enactments dealing with these lands were on ~the Statute Book. These will be found, on examination, to present a depres tig array of attempts to satisfactorily deal with this question, whilst in some way safeguarding the interests of tho natives. Since 1894 several further serious attempts have been made to find n solution to the problem, but the result of all these attempts may be summed up in the short statement that there are now nearly six million acres of native lands in tho North Island available for settlement, and which are unfortunately producing a great deal less than they should. THE PREMIER’S SCHEME.

‘‘The Premier,” said Dr. Findlay, “lias closely examined our past and existing native land legislation, and lias come to tile conclusion that a Commission along the. lines indicated by him is the best possible means of overcoming the difficulties. When the information to bo .compiled by the Commission is in the hands of Parliament it will be in a position to offer to the settlers of the colony a substantial area of good land..” “Can you say anything as to the details of the Premier’s scheme?” “J am not at present in a position to givo any particulars beyond those given by Sir Joseph Ward himself in his Napier speech', but I know that he will show the same thoroughness and expedition in dealing with this question that lie has shown in regard to other questions.” THE PROPOSED COMMISSION. “The Premier proposes to set up a Commission to inquire into the subject._ Is that necessary, in view of the information already available?” 1 ‘The question is largely a legal one, and a layman is scarcely ablo to say whether a Commission is necessary or not, as lie is not aware of the many complication? in regard' to Maori land titles. The Premier’s proposal, J know, is approved by nearly every lawyer in AVellington who has made a special study of the native land question.” “Can you givo any information as to the probable personnel of the Commission ?” “Not at present; but from the remarks made by the Premier it may bo taken that the Commission will bo composed of men of the highest efficiency, and possessing a thorough knowledge of our land legislation, including the past and present native land laws. The Premier has, no doubt, hit the right scheme, It will enable the balance of native lands over and above what is required for the maintenance of tile Maoris to bo disposed of as private lands. They aro in no son,so Crown lands, and this is where a great many peop.e lone labored under a misappr.hu.'iisjo .7 Those lands are not Crown lands, hut at present the natives are prevented from soiling to anybody but the Crown. Under the proposed scheme this limitation will lie removed, and there is no reason why' the scheme should not prove a success, both from the point of view of the interests of (■lie natives, as well as of the interests of closer settlement, provided, of course, that proper safeguards are provided against the native land jobbing scandals that wore so common prior to 1894, and against the acquisition of more than a certain area of land in any one holding.” “When will the Commission be set up?”

“I cannot say definitely; but it should be sot up very shortly, as it is desired that as much as possible —if not the whole of the work—should be completed by the time that Parliament assembles in June.” ‘N.Z. Herald.”