THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1907. NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 19, 1 March 1907, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1907. NATIVE LANDS COMMISSION.

THE Commission appointed to enquire into the best method of dealing with Native lands is working gradually northwards, and may be expected in the King Country some time in April. At a recent function, held at Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, the Hon. J. Carroll, and Messrs Ngata andlFraser, M's.H.R. made speeches relative to the work of the Commission. Mr Fraser, who may be considered an authority on Native affairs, declared himself an out and out freeholder, and advocated, where possible, the settling of the Maoris on their own properties, and where they had a surplus of lands they should dispose of them, and improve the holdings they had retained. Mr Ngata, whose utterances on the question are of considerable importance, from the fact that he is a member of the Commission, declared himself as a leaseholder. He favoured the settling of the Maoris on their own land, and the leasing of the surplus areas to Europeans. He stated that the Natives could be as industrious settlers as the Europeans, and instanced the Nuhaka Maoris, who had abandoned the communistic system and farmed their own sections successfully. At present the Maoris had more land than they could use, but in years to come, when the leases would terminate, the Maoris might have increased in numbers and could resume the land. These remarks may be accepted as the general policy of the advanced Maori party to which Mr Ngata belongs, and no doubt is the system which, as a member of the Commission, he will recommend the Government to adopt in dealing with the lands. It has often been remarked that no scheme is perfect, but from the Maori point of view the one in question should be quite acceptable to the Natives, however it may be regarded by the Europeans. Mr Ngata's remarks leave no doubt as to his attitude on the question of tenure, and if his scheme is carried out it will have the effect of creating a system of Maori landlordy throughout a considerable portion of the North Island, The matter affects the King Country in a very vital manner, and is greatly more inimical to its welfare than the proposals of the Government Land Bill. Under such a system there would be absolutely ; no gain to the country in general, as there would be, in a sense, under Government leasehold, All industry and effort on the part of the settlers would contribute towards the creation and upkeep of a class, objectionable enough in highly cultured, civilised society, land immeasurably more objectionable and undesirable among the more primitive, and admittedly less balanced Native population. By all means give the Maori the same opportunities of working out his own destiny as are afforded his Pakeha neighbour, and, to carry the argument to its logical conclusion give him also the same responsibilities. Much flowery eloquence has been squandered by academical reformers upon the desirability of giving the Maori his rights, and by harking back to the treaty of Waitangi, the name of the time-worn agreement has become a weariness to those desirous of acting sensibly and reasonably in the matter. Granted certain premises one can prove anything, but jconditions that are applicable to one period have a habit of becoming fossilised and out of date at another. In setting up the present Commission, the Government has evidently been actu-

ated by a desire to act for the benefit of the Maoris, land has given them full and capable representation. Still we must not be be blind to the fact that other interests are deeply concerned, and the great issue, which must always be kept in view, is the ultimate benefit of the country in general, in which the Maori, as a class, is just as much concerned as any other class, and no more. Mr Ngata, of course, has a full and complete right to his own opinion in the matter, and as champion of the Maori cause will no doubt endeavour to make the best possible bargain for his race. Whether the views recently expressed by him are likely to operate beneficially for the country, and whether they are likely to be accepted by the rest of the community are questions for Parliament to consider when the reports of the Commission are being discussed.