THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1913. THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 17 July 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1913. THE NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

In the course of the debate on th ■ Address-in-Reply, very little refe. - ence has been made to the mome> tous question of the speedy settk ment of Native lands.. The only impressive contribution to the discussion was the speech made in the Legislative Council by the Hon John Duthie. The Minister of Native Affairs has promised to bring down .a measure this session dealing with the subject in a comprehensive manner, but no indication has yet been given of the details of his proposal. It seems to us that the difficulties surrounding the question of the settlement of Native lands have been unduly magnified, and that there is a simple and effective course open to, the Minister, if he will only adopt it. The area of land at present held by the Natives is between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 acres. This area is slowly but surely diminishing, and the longer the Government delays in taking effective action, the less chance will the people have of acquiring first class land at a treasonable rate. TV "taihoa" policy of the past has served two purposes. It has enabled faaV ers of large estates and speculators to add to their properties by buying out Native holdings, and it has created an increment in Native lands that has made many aboriginals fabulously rich, without their having contributed a penny to the services of the State. Our contention is that it is the duty of the State, to immediately acquire every acre of Native land within the Dominion, and to throw it open for selection. How can this be done? Well, cannot the Government go to the Natives and say, "Place your lands in our hands, and vro will administer them for you, guaranteeing you, gay, 4 per cent, on the present values?" If the Natives were to agree, the Government could , offer them the first right to occupy-] the land, provided always that they complied with the terms of the Land Act. They would, to all intents and purposes, be Crown tenants, subject to the restrictions placed on ordinary Crown lands, with the right of purchase thrown In. The remnant of the land, after the Natives have been provided for, should be thrown open for selection by Europeans on the optional tenure. The rentals should

go to the Pubjic Trustee, to pay the 4 per cent, interest to the Natives. By this means there would be no chance of the Maori race being a permanent charge upon the community. To provide for reading and other public services, the Crown should charge the Native and European selectors a rental on a 5 per cent, basis. This would mean that the Native who worked his land would pay 1 per cent, to the State, and the European would pay 5 per cent. The areas occupied should be restricted to 640 acres of first-class land, and 2000 acres of second-class land, and the right to amalgamate holdings should be abso- j lutely prohibited. The revenue from tho land would go into a common fund, and be distributed among the beneficiaries according to their individual interests. But, someone will ask, how are the Natives to be maintained until the process of individualisation is completed? The Publio Trustee should be empowered to pay out on a minimum basis until the individual interests 'have ibeen ascertained, and then to pay any balance that may be owing, plug a fair rate of interest. The right to acquire the freehold would in no way prejudice the scheme, for every penny that \va: paid would go to the Public Trustee, and the Natives would receive it in interest on the basis of present capital values. The Natives would not be made to suffer by the adoption of such a proposal ag this. If they were thrifty, and cultivated the land, they would benefit in the accretion in values, in the same way as would the European, while the close settlement would add enormously to -their wealth. The Native who would not work and develop the resources of the land would require to 'be satisfied with his monthly, or half-yearly rental, at the rate of 4 per cent, on the present day values. The outstanding advantagea of the scheme we suggest, are that it would immediately increase the productivity of the soil; that it would encourage the Native owners to be industrious; that it 'would prevent Native lands from falling into the hauls of large holders; and that it -would make provision for all time for the remnant of the race. We offer these suggestions to the Native Minister as the basis for a settlement proposal' which might result in an immense .advantage to the Dominion and the Natives themselves. If the 'Natives would not voluntarily hand over their estates, then statutory powers for acquisition should: be obtained.