MR COOPER’S REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 513, 30 September 1867, Page 3

MR COOPER’S REPORT.

The following is referred to in our loading article;— Sia, —I believe I should bo neglecting my duty were I to fail to draw the attention of the Government to the way in which the natives of this province are divesting themselves of the very valuable estate that remained to them after their extensive sales to the Crown. The chiefs are allowed, indeed sometimes tempted, to take credit without stint from merchants, tradesmen, and often from their own tenants ; and this they do with the utmost readiness, and to an extent almost incredible. Some of the principal landowners are at this moment in debt to the amount of many thousands of pounds. Then piessure is put upon them, and, seeing no other means of raising money, they have begun to sell their lands in every direction. I am bound to say that the prices given for the lands are fair, and often high; and tbo negocialions are, as a rule, carried on in a legitimate and honest spirit by the European purchasers, who, certainly, having once given the credit, have a right to do their best to recover their own. I do not, therefore, wish to be understood, as imputing any blame to the Europeans in the matter; but what I wish to point out is the duty that I conceive lies upon the Government of endeavouring to save, if possible, the Maori from himself. Suddenly permitted to exercise unrestrained control over his land; rapidly acquiring, if he has not already acquired, an incurable habit of luxury and idleness, which totally unfits him for gaining his own living; and surrounded hy temptations to extravagance too strong for his easy and halfcivilised nature to resist, the result is easily foreseen. He has.a means of payment ready at hand, consisting of a property whose acquisition cost him neither trouble nor expense, ft is at present bringing him in a moderate income, it is true; but here is, on one hand, an urgent creditor, threatening the terrors of the Supreme Court unless a sum of money, which he has no hope of obtaining by any means save one, is immediately paid ; and on the other an offer, either from an urgent creditor—as is frequently the case—or from some other capitalist, not only of money enough to pay the debt, hut a few hundreds over. The siep is soon taken, and so much land is gone. But the temptation to extravagance remains ini full force, aua the habit of it is growing stronger daily. Having got out of one scrape so easily, by merely putting his name to a piece of parchment, he quickly and almost imperceptibly slides into another, to he also escaped from by a similar facile process ; and so it goes on. A future of pauperism, the details of which it is misery to look forward to, is therefore inevitable for the Maori race, in Hawke's Bay at least,unless immediate steps be taken in the spirit of the salutary legislation of last year, to place beyond the reach of the present generation a sufficient porrarious districts of the Province. Eor tula purpose I would recommend that the Government should not assent to the alienation of any reserve of the classes described in subsections 2 and 3 of section 111. of the " Native Lancia Act. lsf,6: ” and that the provisions of section XI. should be liberally acted upon by the Native Laud Court. By these meant I trust that a sufficient maintec c for these Natives to keep them' Horn sinking into abject poverty, and becoming a burden upon the slate; while the greater part of ths land will still remain open for sale to, and profitable occupation by the European vGiOIi.IS.~-. I am, &c., o. S. Coopkb, Resident Magistrate,