THE ACTING PREMIER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 31 July 1909, Page 3

THE ACTING PREMIER.

HONOURED AT PAPAWAI

MR CARROLL ON THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION

Wellington, Thursday,

The Hon. James Carroll attended a meeting of natives at Papawai, in the Wairarapa, arranged in honour of his promotion to the post of Acting-Pre-mier. Speeches were made by the Hon. Wiremu Pere and Messrs Parata and Buchanan, M.’sP., and an illuminated address was presented to Mr Carroll. The Acting-Prime Minister went exhaustively into the native land question. He said that out of 7,445,000 acres all but 2 )073,ooo was under profitable occupation or vested in trust. The Government was faced with two problems—settlement by Europeans by lease or sale and settlement by the Maoris themselves. The former was provided for in part, but the latter was more difficult. If the Maoris were not encouraged and educated to utilise their land themselves, it was inevitable that pressure of settlement must demand the surrender of their reserves. The State could hold a proportion in trust for the natives, but it could make such provision only on the assumption that the succeeding generation would be better trained than the present. Purchases by the Crown should as far as possible be through the Maori Land Boards, and some of the money paid for land should be devoted to such purposes as education and hygiene. The following legislation would be required : —A Native Band Court Bill (dealing only with titles), a Native Band Settlement Bill, (dealing with alienation and control, and making extended provision for the settlement of Maoris on their land), a Native Lands Rating Bill, and an amendment to the Advances to Settlers Act (earmarking funds for loans to Maori settlers).