NATIVE LANDS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3431, 10 March 1920, Page 5

NATIVE LANDS.

“BI’.EAKf[NG OF COMMU}\’ISM.” Consideration of the (juestion of the purchase of native land at present unutilised was given by the ;\SSOCiZI'C(3(I L"hunlbul's of Comnlerce at VVellington recently, when the‘ Napier delegate moved a remit to that effect.

In supporting the proposal the delegate referred to the waste of money paid to ‘the natives for land sold by them, and said What the present sysl:eln of dealing‘ with the Maori lands was unsatisfactory from all points of view. Much of the land was of no USO to the Maoris and yet. could not be used by anyone else. Over 1,200,000 .’LCI'(’S of native land had been alienated since 1909, and nearly all the money had been squandered and had merely assisted ‘in the denloralisation of the natives. He considered that communism should be broken up. and the Maoris taught to stand as, indi~ viduals.

Members considered that the land should not be taken from the Maoris without guarding against the violation of the Treaty of VVai‘rangi. A (lclogatc: "Would it be fair to ‘xilkC the lzmd at the presellt value iaild lvuve the native owners to I‘CC€iV(-‘V nmrely the infei-est on this unimprovml Value, without any Sllß!'€‘. in future increaso.s' in Value?”

Mr P}. H. Crabl) (Palnwrsfoxl North) said that the clause was highly contentious. It did not make [)l'ovision for tlw natural needs of tlw natives in the Fnturo. A people nntircly divorcml from its lam] was bound to go down. To take away from Hm Maoris the land required by them fnr -.lgl-icl‘xl-lural and I‘CSi(lCllti€L'] pul‘po.<e.< was :1. pmvcl‘ of ‘HIO Government. Finally the remit was ullrl'iod by eleven votes to nine.