THE Kawhia Settler FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1908 NATIVE LANDS.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 380, 2 October 1908, Page 2

THE Kawhia Settler FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1908 NATIVE LANDS.

Tn« late meeting of ratepayers of the Kawhia Town District and the agitation on the rating question that ha a tnide itself felt for some time past, i H hrgely the outcome of a sense of irritation and unrest, very natural to a growing community vf Europeans living witbi" h native laud area. At the rnc-jtiug referred to ii was plainly sb'»*n lh.it Kawhia people were emeshed in <ho troubles and delays, restrain's i«nd expenses that surround all dialings in native land,, aud were also buffering from intangible but neverthelr-s very real checks to growth und tivogrcss, and to attaining more civili.n <1 surroundings. Unde r diff rent auspices they feel that their outei pii-e aud energy would meet with duo and certain reward, whereas low, after seven or eight years effort, tittle has been accomplished and the future* iu out asbured. This feeling is not confined to Kawhia. A deputation from Otorohanga, Te Kuiti aud Taumarunui last week went to Wellington to interview the Native Minister. The ' Minuter speaking on the rating quesi t od, is reported to have said; “ The I natives would have to shoulder the ' aame responsibilities as Europeans in I i-egard to their lands. 'lt was intended t-> make all native land liable to rates, including those that had been reserved bu not yet utilised.’ Tims the natives ; will'd hive either to u iliac lheir land j tl < mselves or lease it,” and further,

- io the removal of restrictions cm | tl.e - ] • of sections there was the in--1 tcr.Ht i f 'he native to be considered, I and lie did not think the European J was being injured much if he got a ' twenty one years lease.” Thia reply t 4. the deputation aa applied to native • tiAuships cannot bo considered satisfactory by either NativeSor Europeans. Wr will not here go into the wider q i jstinn of rural land but simply des! ' with what is under our eye in the Ka- , whia Town District. In this district of 311 scree, the natives own roughly about 260 acres,’eyery acre of which ii <h been adjudicated on, the title in- ; di - iduahaftd aud the ownership known. I The native t»w»i»r« (the Natihikairo lube) are intelligent ipeeple, the yonnI ger ones mere #r lees educated on

European’lines, and all quite able to take their • stand alongside their European friends on a footing of equality. They are fully alive to the value of their land, and capable of dealing with it advantage oualy. From personal experience we kuow they cau drive a hard bargain whether for lease or sale. These peo‘ pie with men like Cowell aud T. Wetere nt the’.r head, now ask why continue to have two laws, one for the Native aud odq for the Europeans ?. They ank to be given the aamc rights and privileges an Europeans and are willing then to accept the same responsibilities. To restrict the natives dealing with their laud, to put restraints ou them not applied to Europeans and yet tax all equally, would not be fair or just. Our natives object to bo any longer treated as irresponsiblcs, or like children, aud for their own good their wishes should be respected. It ia not by mischievous coddling methods that the natives will become self reliant, or lift themselves to a better position. |>Our present law does’much to crash out iodividualisticeffort among them. They are nowstruggling toward

a better state of things, anS theyrecognise that the old communal system must pass away; they see that it is barir c ul and impracticable where they are in contcoit with Europeans ; they should be met with a helping hand and nothing but good would result. By Europeans the Minister’s remarks about tba 21 years lease, particularly when applied to town sections, will meet with the strongest disapproval. He must have bad bis tongue in his cheek if be spoke as reported. It

•s not a question of Naboth’s vineyard as he would irunly. The settler is not grasping after native laud with any intention to d*> injustice or take what the natives can use need for themselves. The settler claims that when he leaves the advantages of order settlemen’3 and breaks in uew country, taking it over in its waste s' ite, without improvements, and in combination with fellow settiers puts his time, tnoucy, knowledge and labour in establishing a town or district, his reward should be something better than the bare income he may make during the 21 years of hia lease, with the prospect at the end of that time to have the money for his improvements in part returned, or submit to be rackrented for Janother term for a value he has helped to create. The Minister apparently would lightly condemn us to unhopeful lives in the dreary monotony of an uu prog passive native township, io fact to a state of servitude,to a worthy yet inferior race. For which much thank-, but, speaking colloquially we do not intend to “ tako it on.” I Tfmport mutantur, and possibly the • Minister also.