King Country Chronicle Saturday, April 6th, 1912. THE NATIVE QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 454, 6 April 1912, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Saturday, April 6th, 1912. THE NATIVE QUESTION.

♦ —- To a country such aa New Zealand, destined to exist and progress chiefly on the wealth drawn from itd soil, the question of bringing every available acre of its land into cultivation is of supreme importance. For this reason, from a purely commercial standpoint, the matter of dealing with nativeowned lands is obviously a question which materially affects the prosperity of the country. The chief concern of any country, from a busineEs standpoint, is naturally the production of wealth, and when such wealth lies in the soil the objective to be attained is the cultivation, on the best lines, of all the soil available. Much of the available soil of the North Island is native owned, and is unproductive. Furthermore, it is scattered throughout districts where it could be readily brought in, and would add enormously to the wealth of the country. It has in many instances lain so long unproductive that all hope of ever seeing it added to the producing lands of the country seems to have vanished. Various reasons are assigned for the existence of this state of things, and an army of theorists has arisen in the land whose joint and several voice is periodic-lily heard declaiming on the Croat native land question. Many weird and wonderful proposals are heu''d an to the correct manner of doalnii: with the question, but little real proxies.-.- had been made towards attaining finality in a matter with which the prosperity of the Dominion is inseparably associated. Various .sentimental reasons, together with a traditional reluctance to tamper with tin ownership of land, have combined to stay (he hand of progress. In recent; years, however, in response to the popular cry a considerable amount has boon done towards alleviating a

position which was becoming intolerable. As a plain business proposition, the mßtter calls for much more capable action than has yet been shown. The land exists as an unproductive asset, and men are at hand ready and willing to transform ft into a payable asset. It iB manifestly the duty of those entrusted with the administration of the country to see that such transformation takes place at the earliest possible moment. Had this plain issue been kept in view, and been striven for from the outset the native land question would have ceased to exist many years ago, and the country would have benefitted immeasurably in all respects. With the advent of a new Ministry it is to be sincerely hoped the simple business aspect of the question will receive profound consideration. When [the theorist wanders into the wider realms of the question, involving the destiny of the native race, and taking consideration of its customs and the natural leanings of its people, complexities arise which tend to obscure the simple issue. In the maze thus created the vital principles which have served hitherto to guide the great tide of civilisation have usually been lost, and competent definite action has been delayed. The side issues of the question are so numerous that separate reference to them is impossible. Emphasis is usually laid on the fact that the native ib the original owner of the soil. That he continues to own a considerable area of it in an unproductive state is hardly creditable either to him or to those who have administered the country for him. His unproductive land is not keeping him, while it is retarding the progress of the country in general. His ambition to live apart, and maintain to as great a degree as possible, his own customs, while creating natural thrill of sympathy, will fare badly in the cold light of reason. Rather should he be taught, early and completely, the stern lesson 01 civilisation which decrees that the match of progress cannot be stayed, and the march must be ever upward. Some good, and a considerable amount of harm, has resulted from the Government's treatment of the natives in placing drastic restrictions upon them with respect to their lands. To what has happened in the past it ia useless to refer, further than to note that the chief result attained was the robbing of the native of his initiative, and his sense of responsibility. The first and most essential factor in the creation of a self-reliant, and responsible human being is liberty of action, and the case that he has certain responsibilities which mußt of necessity be fulfilled. The cry of the surface theorist that, were the restrictions removed from the Maori and his lands, the Maori would quickly be deprived of his means of subsistence, and would become a burden on the State is too ridiculous for serious consideration. Yet it has been so often advanced that it merits some attention. In the first place, if the Maori is a person of that description the Booner he Ib deprived of his lands the better, as 'he will never do any good with land or any other means of subsistence. However, the land the Maori would be deprived of, if the theorist's argument holds good, i'b not his means of subsistence, and never has been to any great extent. The fact that the Maori is keeping the land is an altogether different thing to the fact that the land is keeping the Maori. The lands should be brought into production are those which have been lying idle, and in many cases breeding pests, to the detriment of the country in general. Communal ownership and other technicalities, which are rolled as sweet morsels under the tongue of the Maori advocate, in connection with unproductive native lands should be dealt with summarily. In view of the country's necessity it is imperative that the supreme simple issue should be kept steadily clear of complexities. In view of the Maori's necessity to be clothed with the dignity of equal responsibility, in order to attain equal manhood, and equal citizenship, with his European fellow man, it is imperative that the complexities and side issues of the question should be dealt with in such a manner that finality can be clearly seen. The question from its importance plainly demands such treatment, and if the new Administration is worthy of its position it will answer the call in no uncertain manner.