MAORI LAND SETTLEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 23 August 1907, Page 2

MAORI LAND SETTLEMENT.

AN INTJiREyTJXG DEBATE. Per Tress Association.

Wellington, August-22.

The amendments to the Maori Land Settlement Act Amendment made, in Committee were reported and agreed to in the House to-night. Mr A. L. D. Eraser said that as Maori lands were limited for sale to ire Crown, the market value of the land, being without competition, was what the Crown made it. Consequently, he argued, the natives were not receiving the full value of the land. He read

from a departmental report to show \ that for land, which was worth for timber alone £ls per acre, the Government was giving only Vs Gd per acre to the natives. He urged that in future the Crown should not purchase any more native lands, but that where natives had lands for sale or lease they should be put up at public aution. Mr X'gata said the Government should realise that the system of Crown purchase of native lands from 1802 to 181)0 had been the cause of the present deadlock. He urged that the system of purchasing from bodies of 1 natives should be adopted instead of from individual natives, who were often influenced where they were weakest, viz., near the public house. He added that where purchases! were made in the manner he suggested, portion of the purchase money should be held in "trust for the benefit* of the natives. He asserted that in the King Country the'native land purchase officers had to go to adjoining territory outstiTe the prohibition area to purchase native lands. The result had been in

mauy cases Ehat natives came from the prohibited area, and having sold their lands;'spent the whole of the money in the. public houses. This must be put a [stop to. He had not the value of the laud in view, but the degradation of the

native race, and this must cease. Mr Hemes agreed with Mr FraMa', but he asserted that in the past Europeans had had to pay the natives more for the land than it was worth, He looked to the Government to put a stop to the drunkenness and debauch .'ly which arose through, the practice, of paying money near public houses. He complained that noue of the laud purchased from natives had been settled by Europeans, and ho wanted to know why. Mrllekc urged that the Crown should

purchase no more native lands, as tha was the only way in which the balanc of the native lands could be preserve* to the native race. He did not Mara Europeans for desiring to purchase ns tive lands, but they had been beneflte at the expense of the native race. H urged that, as the natives had not a< quired their lands by the sweat of 1h (brow, they had no right to sell. Th lands were derived from generations o ancestors, and the present native hold era had no right to dispose of thchiiK 1 but should preserve them for posterity The Hon. Mr Carroll said the Bill bf fore the House only dealt with final cial matters arising out of the Maoi Land Settlement AJct, 1905, and was fo the purpose of validating purchase from individual natives. He was nol there to defend the past, but Govern ments had carried out their duties ii regard to the purchase of native lands in accordance with the policy of the day. He disclaimed all responsibility for the natives who were without homes

and were receiving the old age pension. A one time a wave seemed to coino over the natives, and they appeared desirous to get rid of their lands and anything they had got at any price. Since the 1905 Act instructions had been given l to the native land purchase officers to n.rrive at a fair valuation of native lands, and to give the natives a fail) price, and he contended that, in the purchases made, they had not been far behind the full value of the lands. He pointed out that there was always a wide margin in various people's valuation of any piece of land. Referring to timber lands, he said it was wonderful that with timber syndicates searching the country for milling timber, none of the syndicates had lit on the nativo bush lands for the purpose. It h.ul been proved that much of the native bush land was not suitably timbered for milling purposes, and under the Act of 1005 100,119 acres had been purchas- ' ed from the natives at an average cost of £1 per acre. The purchases had only 1 been completed some two months, and before surveyors could be put on the ' Government would have to consider some 1 scheme for cutting up and settlement. ' f-urvoyors could not be put on during ; the winter, but would be put on in the ' summer. He agreed with the member for Napier, that the .time had arrived when "we should absolutely shut down t on all private dealings with natives, and that only one avenue should be open , to acquire lands from natives, and that i either by public auction or public ten- - der. He believed that strenuous efforts 1 should bo made to put the natives as - farmers on their own lands. Then, with the money they received for the purchase of lands, the Government would - assist them in developing and cultiva- . tion of those lands.