Paid in Advance

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 165, 3 October 1927, Page 8

Paid in Advance

Rates on Maori Lands Tau Henare’s Pl ea THE Maori can claim. M y* „ Tau Henare. M.P., that he already paid his rates for * generations in advance of tirne ' The member for Northern • has forwarded THE SUN his ° r ' ply to a statement emanating fJt Mr. Hallyburton Johnston, criticised a recent speech by Henare in the House. Wr '

p the picturesque imagery of 5. race, Mr. Henare likens the snrender of his lands to the pakehs -j the weaning of one child for the beat, fit of another “Nowadays, the pakeha weakling o' former days has grown apace. Hi has waxed strong on my mother, milk —the ancestral land of the lisuf Does not the old proverb, says, ‘R, land is the wai (mother's milk) man?’ There he draws his siutei ar.ee and strength. YOUNGER BROTHER FORGOTTEN “From this land the pakeha draws his wealth and strength and he forgets his obligation to his Mani teina (younger brother). He has grown big on land, whicn. I contend, belongs to me. Quite •forgetting this, he asks; 'Why should not the natives pay ratei” "I will give him some reasons whit) 1 think should weigh in this mane: and provide an adequate answer u this lightly put question. Now, the Maori, he declares w» not vested with the same neyotiah!title as was the pakeha. He cot’, not put the land to the same ant merclal purposes as the Europe*: Mr. Johnston apparently forgot tbs: the whole of New Zealand has bee mortgaged by his fellow-countrym*; to the British money-lender. Mao: ancestral lands have been thrown fc with the security given. Part of that money goes for pufci: purposes; much of it goes to the Sti: Advances Office, from which tt Maoris do not obtain any assistance r benefit. The financial advantages 0! the Department operate solely for th pakeha. “How would Mr. Johnston ee any other pakeha like it,” aski Mr. Henare, “If I were to mortgage his property to assist rre in my business affairs, and so place me in a position to pay my rates''' Again, it is on record, that at leak 50 per cent, of New Zealand had file gaily passed Into European hand This evidence had been gained t Royal Commissions and Native Lai Court investigations. The Hoof agreed to a compromise with tie Ngai-Tahu of the South Island, a chi: for some, millions, by settling it 1: £350,000. This sum was to be itvested for the benefit of these peopi Yet it had not been paid. There are numerous similar Mao: grievances, says Mr. Henare, wt submits that his people pay their fnl. share of taxation on tobacco at. other commodities used by them. Maori lands had been freely givp by their owners for education, seen! and recreation reserves the Dominion. Ten per cent, of 1 purchase money of lands bought b’ the Government went toward Mao” education, which, therefore, cost tt) European nothing. Considerable areas of Maori hi had, in the past, been sold, both b the Crown and to private individual says Mr Henare, at less than in actual value. In this, and in many other ways, it is his submission that the Maori people have already paid rates for some generations In advance of time. “These are facts that should noth ignored. The lands now owned by u< Maori are a mere traction of ’former ownership. And in his owic ship he should not be harshly P*’-' ulised with rates. It is the hope of the member r* Northern Maori that British ju*°* will be the sole factor in determhuw these questions, which so vitally e®*" the welfare of his Maori people at the honour of the pakeha.