The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1885. NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 110, 14 April 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1885. NAT IVE AFFAIRS.

We once heard it said by a shrewd observer of political change*' that a journalist, now following his profession in Marlon, but at the time referred to sub-editing a Wellington newspaper, did more to kill the Grev Ministry by his fulsome and nauseous adulation in the columns of his journ;i] than its most bitter and relentless political opponents. We fenr some of the Ministerial journals are fast achieving the same object with regard to the present Native Minister, of whoin we have a high opinion for his general administrative ability, especially with regard to the question of land settlement, bu<> whose dealings with Native affairs we apprehend will not be attended with equal sue cest». The Natives are in many respects a peculiar race, requiring great firmness, tact, and patience to enable any permanent ascendancy to be obtained over them. It does not. do to play with them.; or promise them more than can be given. The great feature in dealing with the Natives is never to break faith with them; whatever is promised should be fulfilled to the very letter. We aie inclined to think that Mr Ballance is promising the Natives too much ; for instance his pioposals with regard to local self-government. He seems too anxious to propitiate, and though at present all may seem favourable and auspicious, we doubt if a reaction will not Koon set in, and the Natives display a desire to usurp the upper hand. We are also of opinion that Mr BalLance is making quite too much of Major. Kemp of whom w«», in common with many others, do not hold a verv exalted opinion. M»jor Kemp is nothing it not an obstructionist, and while possessing very little peisonul influence for good among the Native tribes of Wanganui, he has ability enough, and is not wantiug in the desire to keep the various tribes in a constant state of ferment, fie is jealous of Wahanui, and other chiefs in the North, and he makes undoubted capital of the Native Minister's protessed friendship for himself, by showing that he is in Mr Ballance's confidence, thus raising his mcmai in the eyes of his people. We question very much the prudence of Mr, Bai.lanCE placinsr unreserved confidence, in M«jor Kemp, or for that mafcter'in any other aboriginal native of this Colony, in whose sincerity as a race we are not believers. Mr Ballance has also reinitiated the system of Native Committees, which, we grentlv fear, will yet land him in troubled waters. That the actions of and powers entrusted to these Native Committees will yet cause disunion and engender disaffection vv« regard as a foregone conclusion. For instance, when blocks of Native Lands are to be submitted to th« jurisdiction of the Native Lands ' Court, the boundaries and other details are in the first place submitted to these Native Committees. We may here remark that in the great majority of instances these Committees include the principal real or supposed claimants to the several blocks, sand if tbo boundaries laid down do not coincide with their ideas of., what is right and proper, they simply exercise their function — which we consider a most injudicious and ill advised one. of indefinitely postponing the adjudication on the blocks in question. This result is already giving rise to grave dissatisfaction on the part of those claimants or owners who are desirous of getting their lands dealt with by the Uourt,and sub-divided for purposes of sale or lease to the Government or private parties, and will, we four possibly ontail serious complications in theearly future. We think the reinstitution ot these Native Committees was a very unfortunate error of judgment, which the Native Minister will yet have ample opportunity to regrot. Our opinion is that as Minister of Lands Mr Ballance's administration is likely to be attended with substantial and permanent benefit to the Colony, though we regret that we cannot; *<peak in the same terms of confidence and hopeful anticipation of his innovations in connection with Native affairs. We are satisfied that Mr Ballance is nineero in hie earnest desire 1o act iu the best interests of the Native race, but we are equally convinced that the final results of bin control of thu Native Department will not Im of n congratulatory character. He is dealing with people possessed of a greater amount of intuitive

shrewdness of perception and far-see-ing powers of observation and ability to look after the interests of Number One, than he gives them credit for. Meau while, thev are playing their | ganio with consummate skill, and while pretending acquiescence in all (ho proposals submitted at recent meeting-* which thu Native Minister attended, and at which he addressed them in such a conciliatory strain, they are simply drawing him out, with a view to ascertain what is the probable limit to the concessions likely to be obtained, and how far they cun go with impunity in those attempts, so characteristic of the Native race, to get everything ami give nothing. Mr Bkyce may have been too harsh and arbitrary in his management of Native affairs, but we are inclined to the opinion that if lie erred at all it was on the ri^ht side, and that the . country would lose less by his somewhat uncompromising nnapproachaLleness, than it will gain by Mr Ballance's palpable anxiety to propitiate the Maoris by concessions which, howeyer well meant, will only cause the Natives to hold jnore pronounced ideas of their own importance and render them less capable of control and subjection. We sincerely trust these anticipations may prove altogether groundless, but from careful observations we cannot help feeling convinced that their ultimate verification is by no means an improbable or remote contingency. Much has been said in praise of the concessions achieved in reference to ' the land required for the central rail- : way. Well, really, we cannot conscientiously attach much value or importance to that feature. The Native owners had everything to gain and nothing to lose by the concessions so given, as the only result to themselves could be the increased value of their lands adjacent to the railway route. They were wise enough to recognise the fact that any opposition of theirs would be most inadvisable and inexpedient, and not at all likely to advance their interests. Full well they knew that the, comparatively speak'ng,|trifling concessions the Native owners were asked to make, were a mere bagatelle in proportion to the actual' and direct benefits they would receive. We do not wish to disparage anything achieved by the Native Minister, but we would merely point, out that those are not his friends who magnify that which virtually is perhaps a greater advantage to the Natives than to the Europeans and the ,0-qjrerHjTOent. . We -admire . Mr Bai«l'anoei'b land administration, and recognise, arid appreciate its full merit and almost certain benefits, but we do not think his management of Native affairs is likely to be attended with permanent beuelit to the Native race, t)r substantial and enduring advantage to the Colony at large. We hope this conviction may prove erroneous, for nothing would give us greater pleasure than to congratulate Mr Ballanoe, whose marked political ability we have admired for years past, on the entirely successful results achieved by him in every department under his control.