THE NATIVE QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 198, 11 October 1909, Page 5

THE NATIVE QUESTION.

Projected Legislation. In referring to the Native Land Laws and the work in connection therewith which it was proposed to bring before Parliament th*> Govcrnor's speech has the following The Native Land Law of New Zealand. now contained in over seventy statutes has. owing chiefly to the lines along which this legislation had developed for the last forty years under different administrations, become per* ptexirgly profuse, intricate and inconsistent. In the circumstances the Commissioners appointed under "The .Reprint of Statutes: Act. 1895," found consolidation an impossible task, and so reported to me. My advisers have accordingly bad a separate bill prepared, revising, recasting, and harmontsI tog the whole of the native land laws of this country, and making such amendments as are requisite. The bill s will shortly be introduced for your i consideration. The triple gain in the simplicity, clearness and brevity of this branch of law will facilitate the i operation of native land courts, the i determination of native land titles, i and the settlement of native lands. My advisers fully recognise that the rapidly increasing population of the North Island demands a vigornu * policy of European settlement on all surplus Native lands. The work of the recent Native Land Commission and the present energetic promotion of surveys will facilitate this policy. Keturns showing what has been lately done in various directions towards this end will be shortly submittuc? to you. Provision will also be made for better settlement of Natives upon the lands reserved for their use and occupation. The time has arrived when Native lands should bear a larger share of the expense of public works by whic h these tands are made more accessible er otherwise improved in value, and legislation providing for the rating of Native land in all reasonable cases will be brought before you. Such a provision will, my advisers think, serve the dual purpose of a just impost, and a spor to the closer settlement or cultivation of the lantfs affected.