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NATIVE LANDS.

Important Debate

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday last Mr Hemes attacked the Government upon what he termed its vacillating policy in regard to native land. Before this Government came into power, he said, there was a moderate system of purchase by the Crown and by private individuals. The purchase system was stopped, and in 1900 the Crown was the only purchaser. By that time the Crown had appropriated something like 200,000 acres of native land. The general impression was that most of this land had gone into settlement, but in his mind.it was still in the same position as it was when purchased. By a recent return it was apparent that only one-eighth of the native land purchased by the Crown had been opened for settlement. He characterised the Government scheme of acquiring native land as wasteful in the extreme, and quoted the report of the native land commission in support of his con-, tention. That report was probably written by Mr Ngata from the Maori point of view. A change of policy had come about after 1900. Crown purchasing and private negotiation was stopped. The Maoris themselves had no faith in the stability of the legislation. Scarcely any land was vested in the native land boards. The Act of 1900 was, he said, one of the most ghastly failures of the Government. Only a rich man could go in for leasing native land. Speaking of the result of the Native Land Commission's recommendation, Mr Herries said the commission had been responsible for placing 350,000 acres in the hands of the Maori land boards, and there it remained. A few acres had been offered for lease, some 20,000 acres in all, and it did not seem that one settler had gone on to it. The Government was opening the door wider and wider to private alienation after "boxing the compass." He wanted to put the .Maori on the same footing as the European. Tbank God there was no colour line here. There was no reason why the native should not be educated to the same position as the white man. (Hear, hear). This could not be done by keeping the Maori in subjection unless they began by the individualisation of the lands and hapus. They would never get them out of communism, but he would make exchange and individualisation compulsory. Half « million spent in surveying would be money well spent. In some cases partitioning should be made compulsory. He had no patience with those who said the.Maoris should have their lands taken away. All he wanted was the provision of facilities that would enable the natives to be on the same plane as the pakeha. (Applause.) The Hon. Mr Carroll submitted that there were now facilities for individualisation of titles. The Euroneans should give the Maoris a fair handicap and not expect the natives to get .breast nf the pakehas who had enjoyed centuries of civilisation. If freetrade in Maori lands was granted the bulk of it would soon go. Would it not be better to work by gradual evolution? The remnant of the Maori' lands should be jealously guarded. There was 7,500,000 acres left to the Maoris. To-day there was. 3,592,776 acres profitably settled; there was an area of 1,444,000 acres to be settled; and over 3,000,000 acres of settled native land was paying rates and taxes. There was over 3,000,000 acres in which the Counties Act was not in force, and in such a case not even European lands paid rates. In the Auckland district 36 surveyors were dealing with 281,000 acres; in Hawke's Bay 13 surveyors were at work on 58,468 acres; in Taranaki nine surveyors were engaged on 61,000 acres; and in ington six surveyors were preparing 46,000 acres for settlement, There were oyer 100 surveyors with 287 assistants busy preparing for settlement a total of 465,749 acres. An attempt had also been made by Mr Hogg, continued the Minister, to lead the House to believe that the existing law led to, spoliation and land speculation. The law provided certain restrictions, which it was impossible to get outside. For instance, there was a limitation of five thousand acres of poor third-class land. To get more than that was impossible, unless the land boards decided the area held was not sufficient to make a living on. Mr Hogg, in his figures dealing with the King Country, had tried to leave a wrongs impression on the House. The ber for Masterton had grouped family holdings together, giving a total of 192,420 acres amongst 82 settlers. That only represented 2420 acres each on the average, which was not out of the way if it was third-class land. It had been said that he refused to enforce judgments against native owners for rates. One particular case had been mentioned. In that instance judgment had been secured against an occupier and not the owner, and he could not legally enforce that judgment. In the case of the Petone Borough Council he had enforced payment to the extent of £3OO. In Hobson County there had been many cases, but heaps of them were for the recovery of a shilling or eighteenpence per native, and with the claim came accompanying costs, amounting to pounds. In one case costs ran up to £2B, and the capital value of the land involved was £4B. Thore was the famous Te Arai case at Raglan. Two of the natives there cited to appear were in their graves. What could he do in a case like that? And so on all through the North Island. During all the period he had been in office none could say he had not given fair play to the pakeha whenever it was possible for him to do so. He had given notice of a Maori Townships Bill. The Leader of the Opposition had used- very strong terms in regard to Maori townships. Mr Carroll concluded a lengthy speech in the midst of sustained applause from both sides of the House wilh the "following peroration: "l appeal fcr fair treatment from the native race, and fair treatment from the pakeha; I can do no more than that. As long as I am in this position I am always <jt the call of the peonle, and will do the best I can, v ;Ut I will never forget the J race T represent,"

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/KCC19100810.2.19

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 284, 10 August 1910, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,065

NATIVE LANDS. King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 284, 10 August 1910, Page 5

NATIVE LANDS. King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 284, 10 August 1910, Page 5

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