The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23. THE MAORIS AND THEIR LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 322, 23 February 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23. THE MAORIS AND THEIR LAND.

No more important gathering of Maoris has been held at the Te Aroha pah, Okaiawa, since the days of the great fighting chief Titokowaru than that which has been discussing the land question during the past week. The settlement of the Maori land question in Taranaki is one presenting difficulties peculiarly its own. To all intents and purposes the great majority of Taranaki natives are practically landless, notwithstanding that they possess, though they cannot occupy, huge tracts of the best country in the province. In round figures there are about 200,000 acres of j land in Taranaki belonging to the natives, some 117,000 acres of which are leased under perpetual lease tenure. Of land,leased under other tenures, 18,000 acres leased under the Land Act of 1881 will soon be falling in, in addition to 3000 acres under other short leases. These areas, with some thousands of acres still unoccupied, the Maoris desire shall not be again leased to Europeans, but .individualised for their own use. The other grievance, with respect of the administration of the West Coast Settlement Leases, under which the Maoris

contend they do not get a fair proportion of their rentals and increments, :s an old-standing one that, it seems to us, an influential Royal Commission must sooner or later investigate. Regarding the reversion of the short-lease areas to the Maori owners, however, the question is one bristling with difficulties. Much of the land in question is amongst the most valuable in South Taranaki, and naturally the lessees and sub-lessees ,arc not desirous of surrendering their occupation, even at a considerably enhanced valuation. About the absolutfc tight of the Maori owners to re-enter into possession there is no doubt; r.ut the question arises whether it is in the best interests of tie Maoris and the community that they should be assisted in their desires. For obviously a very considerable sum of money will be required to pay for the improvements on some of the highly-cultivated land, and the fund that has been created by the Maoris for; this purpose must fall very far short of the amount required. While, also/the Maoris must be treat-fd with''perfect* fairness and justice, the ,vie\v of the country as a whole must be taken into. account. Under the present

tenancy most of- the Maori land in question has been-'highly improved, and :n productivity is a very considerable factor ,in the' 'welfare of the province. It •» held, : by 'many who have studied the I.question in Taranaki that if th a land .reverts to, the, Maoris it will speedily ,revert-also into a state of disuse, an- ■ productivity, a ! ml menace to the surrounding" lands. The spectacle is apparent to'anyone who chooses to look .into matter, of hundreds of acres of splendid land in South Taranaki in the occupancy of the Maoris, and contiguous ,to European-farmed land valued at £4O A to £SO an acre, being nothing more or Jess than nurseries for noxious weeds. -.Why, it is asked, if the Maoris are honestly desirous of entering into possession of their leased lands, and individually working them, do they not evince an earnest by cultivating that which they already possess? There is, -however, some truth in the answer that k the land is still communal, and consequently offers no ' alluring inducement to the energetic and go-ahsad Maori to .farm for the benefit of his indolent tribal partners. As the position appears to us at the moment, could it be assumed with any degree of certainty .that the Maoris would intelligently and vinclustriously farm the land, and maintain it in its present high state of efficiency, there is no valid reason why ,they" sliould not get possesson of the leases they desire as they mature. We ,are far from being convinced, however, that the average native in Taranaki is sufficiently alive to the responsibilities that resumption of this land would !n----olve, to make a successful farmer. At /the same time there are not wanting plenty of instances where the Maons . have shown a full appreciation of independent farming, and it is quite possible that were the lands, as th-?y should be in every case, individualised, .the native will rise superior to the irresponsibility and lack of ambition that, in Taranaki at least, is characteristic of tlie majority of them. The subject is I a big one, however, and should be ap.proaened fearlessly by the Government.

We confess we have not much faith that the Minister for Native Affairs, the Hon. Jas. Carroll, will expedite a settlement. Some months ago a very influential deputation of natives placed the whole .position before him in Wellington, and so far as can he judged by bis utterances at Monday's korero, nothing whatever has been done by him in the interim to deal with it. We should liko .to see the Minister of Lands, with an .energetic representative of the natU-c race, such as the Hon. Mr. Xgata, investigating the position of tlic<=e lands, when both Maoris and Europeans cou'ul feel assured that something definite would be done towards onre and for all settling vexed land nue-tions. and at the same time towards giving ihe native race that opportunity for whVli it k asking to prove its worth.

ELEVEN OR EIGHTEEN? Cricket circles are agitated at present concerning the selection of the Taranaki team to meet the Australians. A section favors eighteen players being chosen, but the arguments used to advance their views are not s.uch as to command much support. They contend that the object of the Australian tour is principally to educate New Zealand cricketers, and that consequently as many players as possible should be .given an opportunity of taking the field against the champion*. But if tnis line of argument counts for anything, why stop at eighteen? We see no reason why the number should not be increased to twenty-five, or even more. The players forget, however, that the public, whose patronage alone makes such a tour possible, will not attend the match to see a Taranaki "tail" learn to play cricket. If it is not worth making a match of it, why not acknowledge at once that the game will be a fiasco? But that is not the view we take of it. We do not presume to predict that the Australians are in any danger of having their colors lowered in New Plymouth, but we have enough confidence in a representative Tarana>.i • eleven to believe that it will give a good account of itself. Taranaki has this year easily disposed of Wanganui and Manawatu; yet these asosciations 1 have decided to bat eleven and thirteen players respectively. Sure?y_ the Taianaki Association will not assess t'le ability of its team as inferior to either of the above teams; yet if the advocates of an "eighteen" prevail, that is what it will amount to. Of this we are convinced that if it is decided to play more than at most thirteen players, the match will not be a financial success, and we hope that the Association will decide the matter to-night with a due regard to the reputation <n the province and the wishes of the public, and give a deaf car to the halfdozen or so players whose cricket education would be accomplished just as well from the terraces as from a momentary stay at the wicKets.