NATIVE LAND PROBLEM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 371, 21 June 1911, Page 2

NATIVE LAND PROBLEM.

MR ELLIOTT'S SOLUTION. Mr G. Elliott, vice-president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, delivered an address on the "Native Land Question" on Wednesday last week. After referring to the large area of undeveloped native land in the province, which contribjted little or nothing to the State he diecussed the Acts of 1909, and the previous legislation concerning native lands. The Acts of 1909 permitted the native to sell his land on condition that the consent of the Maori Land Board was obtained if there are more than ten owners, and that the price pir acre of the block was fixed by the Government valuator. The price paid to the natives might be more than the Government valuation, but it must not be less. This provision protected the natives against possible unprincipled speculators. To provide against the destitution which might follow if the natives squandered the money obtained from sales of land, every Maori must retain land sufficient for his support, and the purchaser must see that he did so. He had briefly detailed this Act because few people seemed to realise that Maoris could irrevocably dispose of their surplus land subject to the before-mentioned conditions. Government after Government had vainly attempted to grapple intelligently with this question, and all praise should be given to the party that had successfully solved one side at least of the problem. The Act was being taken advantage of to a greater extent than most people were aware of. Many people declared that the individualisation of all native lands would be the best way out of the difficulty, but when it was remembered that blocks of land varying in size from 1000 to 20,000 or more acres belonged probably to hundreds of owners, some of whom were entitled to 5, 10, 15, or 20 acres; and that the cost of surveys for subdivision in many instances would be more than the shares of the smaller owners were worth, one was forced to conclude that individualising was but a dream which could never be realised.

RATE COLLECTING DIFFICULTY Mr Elliott then drew attention to the difficulty in the collection of local rates on Maori lands. The Native Land Rating Act provided for the payment of rates by the native landowners, but it had one blighting defect. If a Maori refused to pay, the local body could obtain judgment against him, but it could not distrain on the land without first obtaining the consent of the Native Minister. He had not heard that such consent had ever been given. No man should have the legal right to say this native shall not pay rates. If it was right arid just the natives should pay rates, then all should pay; if it was wrong then the Native Rating Act should never have beeen placed on the Statute Book. In 1906 the Raglan County Council,taking advantage of the Native Land Rating Act, placed the natives in their districts on the roll and charged them with rates amounting to £1360 Is 3d. They succeeded in collecting £3 6s 4d. The following year the total rates levied on Maori lands in the Raglan districts amounted to £53 Is Id, and the Council collected £4 10s. The defaulting natives were sued and judgmenjt obtained, but the Minister refused to allow the judgment to be enforced. The Hokianga County had a similar experience. Innocently taking advantage of the Native Land Rating Act, it included the native landg in its rating area. The natives paid nothing. The Chairman of the County Council interviewed the Prime Minister and the Native Minister, and they advised him to take action against the defaulters. He did so, and the County got judgment against the natives, but the Native Minister refused his consent to the rates being enforced. On the East Coast a European held a native lease of a large block of land for 21 years. He converted the wilderness into smiling pastures and paid upwards of £IOO a year in local rates. At the end of his lease the natives refused to give him a renewal, and took over the land, and from that moment the payment of rates ceased. THE SAME RATES AS THE PAKEHA.

Undeveloped native lands were a curse, and the greater their area the greater the stretch of expensive roada had to be made without any assistance from them. The awful roads of the North were due to the many landowners who contributed nothing towards them. The native lands practically blocked the opening up of Crown lands behind them, and it was no wonder settlement in these circumstances waß extremely slow. To make the Maori face his responsibility along with the white man would be the greatest kindneßS possible.

HOPE FOR A BETTER STATE. He was sure that, were the Rating Act amended, and the Maori placed on the same level as the pakeha as far as rates and taxes are concerned the whole native land difficulty would be ended once for all, for no man would | pay taxation on land and leave it idle. I Allowing that a large portion of the native land in the Auckland province wai of little value, the result would be that 2,000,000 acres at least would

be gradually but surely be brought into cultivation; the establishment of thousands of new farms and homesteads, of an industrious and prosperous rural population; and an enormous increase m our flocks and herds. It would mean the quicker extinction of the national debt, a vast expansion in business, and the general advancement of this province by leaps and bounds. He urged the amendment of the Native Lands Rating Act by stopping the Native Minister's power to grant cr withhold his consent to the payment of local rates being enforced upon the natives. If such legislation were not speedily effected, the white man who shared the country with the Maori might get over-tired. Already he was murmuring more loudly against his burden. The Maori were capable of being made the equal of the European, by proper treatment: but that would not be done by spoon-feeding. The time had come for the Maori to leave the sheltering arm of the Government, to come out into the open and take his proper place in the country.