Messrs J. Carroll and Warbrick at Waipawa.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 26, 11 August 1887, Page 3

Messrs J. Carroll and Warbrick at Waipawa.

A new departure for Waipawa was taken last evening in political addresses. The local natives, and those gathered together in connection with the Land Court, seeing Messrs Carroll and Warbrick (two of the contestants for the fast Coast Maori electorate) in the town, thought it would be a good opportunity for them to express their views, so called a meeting in the Oddfellows’ Hall. Mr Peni Puni was voted to the chair, and called upon Mr Carroll to elucidate his opinions upon questions of interest to the natives. Thereupon that gentleman rose and delivered a most brilliant and telling speech. His remarks were chiefly confined to a criticism of Mr Ballance’s Native Land Adrnini-

stration Bill, which he treated to a severe handling. lie took the Act clause by clause, and minutely explained them, showing that the whole bill was most disastrous both to the natives atid to the advancement of the colony. He said the time had come when our aboriginal brothers should not be treated as children, and put out to nurse at the hands of the Government, but should be encouraged to act Jand think for themselves. He agreed that the State should not act as an ?Egis to the natives, but only to the extent that they should be protected from fraud ; not, as Mr Ballance’s bill made them, nonentities. He also warned his hearers that the day was fast approaching when the natives, to help to combat with the financial difficulty, would be directly taxed for their land the same as

Europeans were, and therefore it was but just that they should be placed on the same footing and allowed to deal with their land as they thought was best for themselves, with ample protection afforded by legislation, and suitable reserves set apart for the different tribes. He could see no harm that would befall the natives in dealing with the remainder. He showed that the natives of to-day were not those of ten or twenty years ago, and that, with their natural aptitude in acquiring the sharpness of the European, they were perfectly capable with the above assistance, of managing their own affairs, and that if they ever wished to be independent they should now claim the control of their own interests, and the first move in that direction would be the removal of the bill above referred to. There is always the fear of the European lessees praying Parliament to relieve them of the hardship they might be under in paying an excessive rent. Instance last session, the bill introduced by Mr Ballance to amend the West Coast Reserves Act, the object being to grant fresh leases (of native lands) to Europeans at reduced rents. The same thing might occur under the Native

Land Administration Act, as the granting of the leases would be solely in the hands of the Commissioner, ergo the Government. Again, under the last mentioned Act, native lands are to be dealt with under the land laws of the colony, the same as Crown lands, consequently, if Mr Ballance administers the Crown lands of the Colony to a loss of £65,000, what may be expected from his manipulation of native lands under the same law? The only difference that would arise was that in one instance the country suffered, while in the other the unfortunate Maori would have to. Mr Carroll spoke on many other points, chiefly retrenchment in the Civil Service, and reform in the Native Department. He considered the Native Land Court should not be under Ministerial control, but made independent, like the Supreme Court, of the Government of the day.—Napier Telegraph.