King Country Chronicle. Wednesday, November 8, 1911. THE NATIVE QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 412, 8 November 1911, Page 4

King Country Chronicle. Wednesday, November 8, 1911. THE NATIVE QUESTION.

Considerable discrepancy exists between the estimates of tin' rival politic;!! parlies upon most matters. Upon the matter of native owned lands the difference is startling. Itis almost impossible for the unbiassed person to form, a practical working idea as to the amount- of settled and unsettled land, while as 'o the method of dealim: wi(is «!>•• »>:»(i v«> question in jrenrral opinion-* arc :s: numerous, ami as varied as the saooon the shore. As a plan) matter of fact the vital point at issue i- completely los! sij;hl. 01, buried in tin' multitudinous opinions upon issues. The br;i);'imv ot the iano. to the extent of every available acre. In a state of productivity, wnetncr nudes European or Maori occupation, is I bo point which vitally concerns (he com) trv. It seems to be a commonly accepted heresy that (.lie fate o> i-,n Maori is inseparably bound up in the fate of his land, and before any steps can be taken to utiilse the land for the general good of the country politicians of every decree and colour placidly accept the heresy, and proceed to debate upon the details ol a question, which, upon the authority oi (he Native Minister, can only be Hi Jvc-i by the evolution of Time. Naturally the debates end where they hrj;n»: astute native members smile, and the land remains unproductive. Aieanwbile the Maori population remains a fixture and the land mounts up in vahie as a result of European set (lemon;. and enterprise. The fate ol (he r-.iaori is not inseparably associated \v i; h In:kind. If it bad been, the Maori des-

conditions, and burdened with the customs of h>s r.ice the Maori, except in a few favoured instances, has been entirely unable I■> make any use of his lands. Any value that has been placed upon H-,,' lands has (teen the inevitable '! result, of the spread of European ,

.-•enlenient : the exercise of European ivil ii'K in the irresistible march of ;)i-;ui progress. That the average M;!,.; 1 has been tillable to take any pari ;ii the, progress of the country is striking evidi nc.e of the inability of land ownership to allect his fate. For long weary years t.he, millions of. acres of Maori-owned land have lain unproductive, yet the fact has neither increased nor diminished the Maori population, nor has it affected materially the Maori mode of living. The increased values created by European activity have been utilised in some instances by Hie smart section of ihe race to the, advantage of a few individuals, hut, as a radical influence in ttie destiny of the race in general the effect in unfelt. As a matter of plain common sense the fate of the Maori instead of being inseparably bound up with the fate of his land is entire ly disassociated therewith. It is j'ar intimately associated with

ihe fate of the country in general. Moreover, thv country in general is 80 vitally affected by the non-productive-ness of millions of acres of land that both European and Maori inhabitants are being penalised to an enormous

extent in consequence. The issue is s ) .simple that it seems incredible experienced politicians can fail to grasp it,. Platitudes and time-worn expressions such as "becoming paupers and a charge on the State," become wcarisutm! from reiteration. Evidently the repetition of the phrase has led people to accept it as gospel. The Maori is much more likely to become a pauper if the present methods of treating him hia lands are persisted in. The tender solicitude of the platform anhthropist for the "noblest native race within the Empire's influence" is responsible to a certain extent for perpetuating a ridiculous state of things, and the astute Maori leaders whose vision is narrowed to the immediate material benefits which delay brings to a small section of the race, seize every opportunity to achieve their own narrow ends. Cheap sentiment is responsible for many ills. It is about the worst influence that

can be directed again?t any native race, and when combined with shortsighted selfishness, its baneful influence can be belter imagined than described. From every view point, the settlement of all the unoccupied lauds of the Dominion is of vital importance, and as far as the nat ive is concerned as a race,his future will bear a much brighter aspect whan his land is producing crops of marketable produce, than when, a3 now, it is growing weeds and rabbits.