NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2049, 9 April 1907, Page 1

NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

IS THE ?,lAOBI LASSY? At tho sitting of the Native Lands Commission at Wanganui, evidence was given by Air Stewart H. Manson, who said the Alaoris had been engaged in sheep farming for 20 years or more. They had not the necessary knowledge to look after sheep, in the AYangam)j (ljstrjct that wi(S. The Alaoris are Jets industrious now than 40 years, ago, and those of this district looked 6n a miji]. w])p worked as 411 inferior being, and thought more of the man who did not work. Air Grace, the former schoolmaster of Ivoriniti, had been qf qpjniqu (hi)t tho Government should encourage the Alaoris to thrift, and give them the opportunity to work. The Government started wliat might he called a technical school there, and put up several houses under Air Grace’s supervision. Then the work was stopped about tljree weeks ago, wlijpli was .a great mistake. It was intended to educate the Alaoris in carpentry and agriculture, hut it came to nothing, Air Grace wasj the best friend they had, but when the work was stopped he became disgusted and cleared out. The Alaoris took to the school and model village and liked it, hut it was never given a proper start. AVitness agreed with Air Gr ace that tho Government should give the Alaoris every encouragement to thrift and work, but it had not done so, and had got hold of a lot of their land for a mere song not one fifth of its value. The Govenrnment had no doubt behaved belter than other Qqvernmejits to aboriginals, but they could have behaved far hotter than they had. AVliy the work was stopped at Koripiti he did not know. The Government had not encouraged ®ie natives to rise through work, they had simply taken their land and left their impecunious. Witness’ own advice to the Alaoris was to sell no land, but to lease it, because they had'no faculty of looking after their money, and when they sold land they spent the money in u way that was

no use to them. He would give them every opportunity to farm their own land. This was ol course a very difficult question, because the land was bold very often ill such small shares, but they could always grow enough to keep them from starvation on their papakaingas. The river natives raised a certain amount of wheat, maize, and potatoes, and there were several varieties, of fruit growing, which, however, were never attended to; as a matter of fact quinces grew without any cultivation.' Tho river climate was very suitable for fruit, and the natives could easily grow a great amount of it. It had to be remembered though that the local market was not much good to them, and when freight was paid on tho fruit, littlo was left. The .drinking habits of the natives had decreased, and they were not one quarter as bad in this respect as formerly. The principal cause of tho decay of the Maori was that he was too lazy. His Honor: Ho gets his money easily by soiling land, and then wastes it. AVitness said the Government had given the Alaoris not more than about one-sixth tho value of the land, and it was practically impossible for the natives, to sell to anyone hilt the Government. The native did not get fairjduv in this; he was only the normal owner. He had to take tho price the Government fixed, and had no say in fixing it. He blamed all the Governments for this. He considered that the Government should do all that was possible to enable the Alaoris to work out their own salvation, and if they did mot do that they were not doing their duty. He would not put a Maori 011 altogether -the same footing as a European. He would not allow them to have the power to sell their lands as they chose.