The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1905. THE SETTLEMENT OF MAORI LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7942, 4 October 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1905. THE SETTLEMENT OF MAORI LANDS.

'J'lii' Cuvci'iiiheitl has ivikvm.O its proniiv, ami intrudiicitl a Hill dealing with (lie important, ipjestlon oi th« vtili'inviii of native lands. '!%■

main feattiros nf this measure pro\iilf fur sinipHlyinjj the cmistilutii>u nf tin- Mauri Land Councils liy reducing I In. iiuiiilh-i- of m.-inlii-rs- from scv.-n l<) i tin-.-... thf immihiTs {King appoillli-d instead of Ihmhj; [,„nly elective, but both natives and Kuro|i> iins will U- represented. A sufficient (pinnlily hi inalienable land to meet llii' actual ivipiiivincnts of the natives is to be sot apart for their ns«. remainder being markeil oIV, vested in ih,. Councils, and thrown open lor settlement In. nvans of leas.s limit, d to lifiy years, and for this purpose power is S iv,.ii to !■..- *' wast,. Maori lands or lands unsuitable for Maori occupation. 'Plw lands thrown open for settlement an- to hv divided into f • classes, with arms ranging fr mil mi-its ■)i lirsi-class land up to 1.->,uiii of fourth class. Ain|il<- piovisii,,, ; s mail." for securing to (he natives all

;>ai Hicy. Cilii n-iisojiiiltl\* ivijiiir

and reserves f,, r „|| purp, ses call ho made, while should Mhey wish to let the land ih.-y occupy they tun place it in Ih,. hands of the Council for tlmi purpose ami have tin? rents paid 1.V.1- | (l Il„.|||. Moreover, power is given In tltr (.'nVfi-iiiiH'U't In advance money In tin- Mauris for tlic purpose »i" enabling tlu-in t„ farm Ihrir lainls. To those nliu arc not fully aivarr of the matiy ilrawlnirks wh.cl, oi presenl ,-xisl ill conned ion with the native lainls. tin- lines on which iho Mill i. s framed would appear lo !).> deo'nleilly progressive. There- are. hilwover. soVoialv phases ~f this ililliciilt ipiestion that do not appear on the surface Winn 1 hj,. Msinri Councils' were eslalilish.-il il was h„p,il thai (he natives- would r.-oognisc those -tiiHlies anil place such confidence in i heir iiilmiiu'st rat ion of native affairs that „ | K -w era of prosperity ami comfort woulil havo ilawnci for the Maoris. Kxperieiio, has proved i|„. reverse of this much lo l„- ilesinil end, the unlives as a rule Hyaline n„, Council rather as n hostile than as a friendly body, UIH j though some, good l l!is r,-sult„l [ Polll 11*'' experiment, it is insignific.inf as <'oni|,ar,d with the large amount of lailure ihat has doggvd I lie short canrr. The first ,p„-stion (hat m-isi.v in connection with ih,-(new Mill in whether the Councils -.is r,-ron-sliltitnl wil|. u („,K-t the confidence of lh« Maoris to a greater extent than "'" existing C, mm .i| s . We are not '"" s ii»B''ii>i' on this point, though

'' is a matter of vital importance "'«< as Ihe Councils will possess powers ihe exercise of which ,„«, produce more or less f, i,-(i..ii will, "•"''"•■s, that the latter slmulili if posyil.le. I,e induced lo place the

'■'lilosl confidence i„ ,|„. Councils. ' , '' l" " l!,i " "i'-' whieii ihe nm is l-i>-d Is m,,d commendable, .|„„ ~n c ■'inieully will ~„ ,„ ~,„,;,„,, , I)( ,

Maoris t hat linn will |„. f al - «,e|ie,"II l.y receiving rem for what is at present not only me,-,, waste, unpro-

ii".'enl .errit, r.v Tie- duly ;,„pos,,| "» ' lv Council „f providing, 1a,,,!* for 'lie aeiiinl nipiireiiifnis of l lie natives is l.esei ~-iih many dilhrnli i.-s, >"" l.y provi,ling sulllcie.il reserves' all serious ol.siacles ,„, i his head may L- overcolne. I| will, hoWeVer, )„. "•"VsMai-.v to en.snre lhai ,1„,5,. reserves shall he >ep t f r e,. ~•„,„ ,„ Ai _

"lIS UVITk. iltKl llh'lV u„ M •!,,. |,„ „„. '•""H'Mly n„ Ihis ma 11,.,-. Th, ,a„,o r.-iiiark 1.1.1 if ii|.|>l, v with ,i,„a| if „„(, pviil.r 10r,.,. 1,, ii„. lands ■-.■tnin,-<l l>.< I lie i)iiti\,. s . \„ s,-(ii,.|i r ,.,i| „[ the unlive lands (|iii'stiiiii can !«• npiril..(| »« salisi«ti..r.v lli-.il nlocs hoi |.n,vi,l,. f,,r Hi,. a p|ilicali„n of iI U; *"""' '".-'•' li!«ni.'iis mi Hi,, part ,„• r Maori landholders and ■...•i:n|ii,.rs as I niv now va10r,..,! ac.aii.si Kiiro|M-ai.s. No on., who lias s.vn and noted I li ( . ViiM anas of natiw | am | 1n Ta| ,„. liiiti. ih.. Kmjf Country. jiikl llw Waikain can fail In have .||.-,.n struck "''l' '!>'• »n?"Ni i .1 for drastic nn.l prompt measures In ensure Ihc fra-iiitaijvu vi ■uvxious »ail! ( amj

the proper cultivation <>r the soil in.' the true interests of tlie country. If .' the natives who own or occupy land I will not cultivate thu sort ami make!. it productive, then it is essential, bolli for the welfare of Ills community ami tlie State, Unit they make ] room for those who are abiu and willing to,convert the dreary wastes ' into fertile pasture or arable land. It is, however, •doubtful, if the bill ' as framvd will sevvc the purpose lor which it is; intcii'i'ed. In the first place it only touches the fringe of the question instead of attacking the present intolerable situation with « manifest determination to put an cud to the existing evils end once and for all establish the doctrine of equality of responsibility Jor all land occupiers irrespective of race. .Then the limitation of the term'to fifty years is likely to prove a serious bar to the success of Hie scheme. The reasons ngainst short tenure are so well known ami the system so universally condemned that lliero is no need fjjr reiteration. It is hardly probable that serious efforts will be made this session to carry the Hill, which certainly.needs consideratble re--vision before it can be regarded as a progressive measure, and it is to lie- ho|)ed that in dealing with the question piecemeal legislation will ibo avoided ami a vigorous attempt made to bring native lauds into line with Crown lands. The sooner this is done the it will Ije ior the .Maoris ami the; colony generally. At present there is every disposition on the part of tire Maoris to regard native lands much in the same light as absentee pak,cha, speculators who merely hold to real* the tjeiielit of the rise in value. It is a moot question whether the land should not bo forfeited if it is not utilised as it ought to be. Tho "spoon-r»d" Maoris have become enervated by the process ol having all their waols provided for them, and thoy require a dietetic as well as the st-iiiulating tonic of reasonable labour.

j TIIK "YELLOW I'F.IUL." o We have heard a good dent lately about the so-called " Yellow Peril," and w>- will probable hear ni«re of il in the near future. The question linn been raised in connection with tin. l admission of iho ynllow races tit, Australia and oilier British possessions. In oixK-r to limit, such Immigration to AiisU-alia restrictive laws have been in cJnstcuce for some years, and they have evidently oerved their purpose to a great extent. The situation has, however, lieen somewhat altered owing to the sudden advance of the Japanese unit ion to the position if a first-class Power. The Japanese have estn-bjishe-d a large trading connection wit'll Australia. and thi-.v have always (-iit.-i-.-d « decided proiwsl the l.'i,«isla;tionUi-at reslrict-ed I heir access to live various Stales. They 'have, brought the mat-. ler several lim«s, perhaps incidentally. to the notice of (he Brinish Imperial (Jovernment, and have snggestiil intervention. Now that Britain and Japan have re-entered into a <lefiiedveaud oIT.-nsivo alliance for- a period of ten years the latter -will, no doubt, ere long, again entur an emphatic protest against the laws

that restrict the entry of her sub-

j.ctc to the States of the Common-

wealth'. Thy Japanese have become sui-li a powerful factor in the civilised world that it is difficult to see bow the Coiiiiutflin'.iiMh 'ejht'hori'l ies can, wiihivnson. subject Ihem lo a

restrici'iee alien law. As an ally of (.'real Britain, Japan can claim as a right Ihe free wnr.\ of her subjects to eur possessions, and, In view of Imperial policy, we fail lo see how llmt right can bo denied. One argument that Ihe Japanese have in their favour is, thai tlu-y do not. pass Ihws that hamper the Ktiglisli speaking people who visil their country and, in the interests of fair play, th.-.v contend thai we ought -lo treat their countrymen likewise. When the

Japanese raise the <q)lcslion formally

»f may lake it fur granted that their (iovcrnnicnl "ill aski lor an open door to llrit'ish possessions. How the Colonial authorities will act in Hie faco of sucli a reo,ucst i.s a matter of conjecture ul pivsont. Imt wo may r.-s-i assured tli.it it will give Y'fse to considcrajlile discussion iiv Australia, as a good proportion of t'he popu.lalion ot tin- Contni >nwor/iMi Iras 'an inherent divad of •« possible unrc; strained' influx of Asiatics. Here in

New Zealand the question at present does not appeal to us so s1 rongly as it does lothe Australians, but the lime will probably rcrnie when w< will Bave it brought prominently nn<ler our notice. At Christchurch 'the other day the Premier was interview, ed on the probable effect of the Ang-lo-.lapanese treaty, ill so far as it mig-ln affect New, /ealaiid. and hi* reply was that- if Japan conlinvd her-

self to her /(lie and we did likewise thi-iiL's would be satisfactory to all parties. Mr Seddoii was evidently careful how He answers! the (pieries on such an important point, and his terse reply was correct under tho circumstances. on tiik ronrrn pack. The St on teller, i South Uoad liii||roVeineii(s.