MAORI LAND

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2257, 31 March 1921, Page 3

MAORI LAND

INSTRUCTION IN FARMING

Reporting lo the Central Progress League on (he late tour of members of Parliament lo the East Coast, Mr 0. Mitchell, M.P., deals with the Native land question as follows: — “We found a general desire aiiiong.st the white people to deprive the Natives of their land. They claimed: —(1) That land leased from Natives and brought in under l-akeha supervision, and now returned to the Natives on the expiry of the lease, has gone back, and is not now producing all it should. (2) That land under Native occupation pays less in rates than when under the pakeha, and in some cases pays none at all. (3) That the Native is a bad farmer. Allowing all these charge.- lo be more or less true, the fault is not entirely with the Native. Nor is the desire of the pakeha inspired by very noble and disinterested motives. I am satisfied that the white man has much more land in New Zealand to-day that he can properly work. In fact, if we had twice as many holders on the same area we would raise twice as much produce. Nor' is the Native to blame if he cannot get a title to his land, nor can his iirea be allocated to him until their holdings are individualised and consolidated. He, therefore, cannot 1 farm his land or pay rates. After our visit to Waiomatatini I uni convinced that- much can be 'done to make that Native a good farmer on his own land. It is necessary to individualise and consolidate their holdings, and to have a school of instruction in farming in such districts.ns Waiomatatini for Natives only, so that the young Native boy may have an equal opportunity with the pakeha of making good on Ihe laud.”