The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81849, 24 September 1906, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

The man who can see daylight through our native* 'and system has yet to be found. For complexity, incongruity, inconsistency and gen oral incomprehensibility the system, or apology iv.r a system, has no equal. The Maori does not knowwhere he is, and the pakeha is in the same box. Beth have been hoping i for a better condition cf things; both have been waiting for the formulation and establishment ttf a clearcut, equitable, logical and comprehensive system; both up to now have been waiiinT in vain. * * * *

How vital the question really is to the colony is shown by the native land return that was presented to the Legislative Council last week. Figures are dry reading as a rule, but to arrive at a proper understanding of the position it is necessary to di gest the figures of the report, figures which are very significant. It is shown that the total area of land in the Auckland district is 3,708,897 acres, of which 1,571,194 acres are forest. In Hawke's Bay there are 1,108,316 acres, of which 462,781 are unproductive, owned by 25,986 different people. In Taranaki there are 495,210 acres of which 96, 192 acres are opened and 399,018 in bush. The native population residing on these lands is estimated at 2SO to 300. The productive area is set down at 12,500 acres, and the unproductive at 482,710 acres. The country suitable for sawmilling is estimated at 15,000 acres. The natives interested in the ownership of 'lie who'e are stated to number 8722. The area of native land in the Wellington district is set down at 1,506, 744 acres, owned by 10,869 different Maoris. Of the total area 231,700 acres is milling country. The total area of land is 7,479,602 acres, 2,870, 71S of which arc unproductive. In this 58,028 native owners are inter ested.

» * » « The Ward Government, in the Budget it brought down the other day, m referring to the question of native lands, acknowledge d that there were large areas of native land lying 'die and uncultivated. This, the Government stated, was not entirely tne fault of the Maori owners, "who have had great difficulties to contend with, though too often, they ate sadd ed with the blame." The reference proceeds : "'The Maori dare not cultivate land until his ownership to it has been ascertained. What person would cultivate land on the oft'chance ihat lie might afterwards get a titie io it? Then ill the cases where the tit'e has been ascertained, the block has not been partitioned up to such a point that each owner can say where his own piece of land is, or a family can feci assured as to the allotment of the title."

IT is quite true, as the Government point out. that the individualising oi their titles is manifestly beneficial to the Maori peop e. The Government, however, say that "experience liao snow n that since, by ramifications oi their genealogies, lities to even smalt and wonhless blocks are overloaded with owners, it is not possible to eli'cct this in every case. Provision must accordingly be made at tne pioper stage, eitner to partition t.ie lands according to'family groups, 01 lo consolidate the holdings by a sys lem of incorporation under an enilent management, the object being to put the natives in a position to deal ivith their lands, or use them to the best advantage.'' ft is not only de suable to settle native titles asquick y as possible, but also to devise some means to bring the land under cultivation in the meantime. To meet these points the Government's policy is briefly, to set aside a sufficiency oi native lands for the maintenance oi the natives; to give them a "start to farm their lands; to tlucw {he balance open fur settlement and cultivation; settle a-1 disputes in native title s as tjmckiy as p.-ssible; and ihatwlu-ie tlie'native cannot be dealt with individually by the Crown that the Clown deal with them collectively in the meantime and open their land for settlement.

All this sounds well, The policy is a vast improvement on the pait and present order of things, but the point is : w ill it be carried out ? Will these lands be taken over by the Govern in en J and offered for settlement '0 lhe people hungrily wanting land on terms that are acceptable? The Government propose to vesl all the native lands it buys in land boards for lease only. The leasing, we ale sure, will not be acceptable to our yoeman, who want to see someth.ng tangible at the end of tlu-ir toil. But apart from the leasehold versus fiee hold issue, the native department will hav to undergo a big 'transformation before we can expect to see the principle outlined by the Government carried into effect. The meth ods and general administration of this Department have been a public scandal for years past. There has been too much "tailioa" about them; too much tinkering and theory and not '-npugh solidity and practise. An energetic and capable new man at the head of native affairs would work wonders and give the country confidence in the administration of an important department of the public service. The present Native Minis ter, versatile and capable as lie can be, if he likes, no doubt is responsible for the "tailioa'' methods characterising the operation? of the Department in the past.