NATIVE LAND QUESTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 159, 30 July 1909, Page 2

NATIVE LAND QUESTION

NEW LEGISLATION POKESHADOWED. By Telegraph —Press Association. Wellington Thursday. The Hon. Carroll attended a mooting of Mutiv< * i'apawai, in the Wainrupa yesu. .u\. arranged in Honour of lii.s promotion to the position 01 aoting* Premier. Speedup wore made by Messrs IVrata, W'i JVre and JJneliana.i, aim au illuminated address presented jto Mr. Carroll.

.Mr. Carroll wont exhaustively into the Native Land question, and said that out of 7/H.>,OUI) acres, all but 2,U73,U0U wore uiukr prolitablo occupation or vested in trust. The Government w.a* faced with two problems: settlement by Europeans by lease or a.«u t settlement by .Maoris themselves, ihe former was provided for in part, but the latter was more dill'icult. If they j were not encouraged and educated ' o utilise the laud themselves, it was n . evitable that the pressure of seltle-

lnent must demand it surrender of Uieir reserve. The State could hold a proportion in trust for Natives, nui muni make such provision only on the assumption that the succeeding gcneniLion will be better trained than tne present. I'rovision must be made for the training, especially in agriculture, and for the cost of ascertaining titles and surveys. The Advances to Settlers Act must be applied to tile .Maoris, and fresh legislation enacted. Purchases by the Crown should, us far as possible, * be through the -Maori ha:i-i IJoards, and some of the money devoted to such .purposes as education, hygiene, etc. The following legislation would be required: — A Native land court bill, dealing only with titles. A Native land settlement hill dealing witli alienation control, and making extended provisions tot the settlement of Maoris on their lands. A Native land rating bill, An amendment to the Advances to Settlers Act. ear-marking funds for loans to Maori settlers.

Mr. Carroll gave it as his opinion that if the Native land problem were only a question of the disposal of land without reference to the position ot Maoris, it is possible* of the easiest solution in one or other of the many ways suggested by current journalism. POSITION IX TIIK NORTH ISLAND. HOW THE LAND IS HELD. An official statement given out on Tuesday mentions that the total area of the Dominion—North Island, Middle Island, and Stewart Island—is 00,340,010 acres or thereabouts. Of the total of the North Island, the natives own approximately 7j-44i),000 acres. The area owned by "Maoris in the South Island cannot be ascertained at present, but it is so small that mention need not be made of it.

"Dealing, therefore, only with the Xortli Island, the position i-,i respect to native lands is as follows:—In profitable occupation: (a) by Europeans under lease; (b) by -Maoris (estimated), 3,250,380 acres. Vested in trust for settlement or subject to recommendation of the Native Land Commission, 2,120,047 acres. The balance of 2,073,'JliO acres is made up as follows:—Entitled land or only partially investigated, 570,572 acres; subject to the Orcwera Native District Reserves Act, 4U(i.SO2 acres; subject to the Thermal Springs Djstrict Act, 121,007 acres; unclassified and, for the most part, poor lands, 015,343 acres.

During the .period from 1801 to 1000 the Crown acquired by .purchase from the Maoris more than 3,000,000 acres of Jaud for settlement. During the same period a large area of native land, estimated at 2-5i),1)1111 acres, was sold imtlight to Europeans. As the vesting of land in trustees and boards for administrative purposes is a prominent feature of the Maori laud (piestion, it win be interesting to put forward the position in regard to trust estates, \ihich_ is as follows:—Public Trustee, 102,275 acres, for lease only; Kast Coast Trust lands, 180,388 acres, sale, lease, ami ilaori occupation; * special' trust under the Mangatu JSnipowe'riii" Act 110,464 acres, lease only; vustcd in Alaon Land Boards under tin- Maori Land Administration Act, acres for loaso; bring vested in .Maori U, u l iJo.ud* on tlie recommendation of the lU " ;iU:i fur ai >->

lieferrin; to the return, the Actin"[iiiiie Minister lias expressed the upinoil that open exploitation of .Maori .iiiids was a dillicult process. J n order to prevent such a thing, special provision had been made. Anyone desiring o take up any area of native land (just S O Own and) has to abide by the Und Act. which set, a limit on his holding and requires him to sj„ n a ! ! (equivalent T.J an m i) hat, mil, any land be alrcaclv holds, the laud lie proposes to aciiuiro will not exceed the limitation of ai-a imiMMcMl by the Act. I|, IH i, k , |. J '..j' Anyone gets past the law he aeis in of ti'i"law" a "' l " 0t W ' th the he! !'