The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1888. WHITE LAND SHARKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2866, 6 April 1888, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1888. WHITE LAND SHARKS.

The opponents of free trade in Native 1 lands declare that such a policy is intended to facilitate the gobbling up of big blocks by white laud sharks, and that it means rendering the natives homeless. We do not exactly understand what is meant by the natives becoming homeless. All political parties in the Colony have at all times-been agreed to treat the aboriginal population with consideration, and where members of it have through carelessness or recklessness parted with their estates, made such a provision that they should not become either homeless or destitute. We have met many a homeless European in New Zealand, but we never came across a homeless Maori, and we do not believe that a cry about "homeless Maories" will meet with much success, either in this district or any other part of New Zealand. The Natives of the Wairarapa are exceedingly well off; indeed, as compared with their Pakelia neighbors, they may be considered to be in affluent circumstances, The homeless Nativo, as a figure of speech, may be very effective, but he does not exist, except in the imagination of radical politicians. The white land shark, how-' ever, is a reality, and one for which we feel extremely grateful. Everybody in Masterton must know this maligned despot. Is not the town surrounded by domains that were once the property of the noble but indolent savage, tj,nd "\yhich now call "the white land shark" master, To the east of Masterton is a range of lo\y lijlls,'which, a few years ago, was in standing bush, a silent, solitary forest, It belonged to the noble savags, who neither lived in it, grazed his cattlg on it, or improved it, The whole hill side, with its thousands of aores of fertile soil, did not bring in a shilling a year to anybody. All this has now been changed by the ravages of the white land shark. Let us make a horrid example of one of these potentates, and describe how lie wickedly induced the native owners to surrender to him for a pecuniary .equivalent, a thousand acr.es or SQ of this estate. He then commenced tp call tgnderg for falling bush, for logging up, for fencing, and for building. He purchased grass seed, and invested money in stock and stores. Year after year he made trade lively by the improvements lie effected, and by the labor which he employed, Ought we not to curse this white lane] shark? He may not have been a wealthy'pi], but lie lias probably ljeen a man of intelligence, Tylio knew how to borrow money and kpgn.d it to advantage. Are we, in a place like Masterton, to belieyp that it is preferable that a white land shark of this type wljo finds employment year nftgryear for scores of hands, who is a good pustomer to the storekeeper, the merchant, and the dealer should be blocked by prohibitive legislation from acquiring native land ? Is it preferable that the fend should be held unimproved by, perhaps soinp aged Maori woman -liyipg at To Qi'e fe, perhaps by a whole tribe of ancient dairies' ip mud huts ? Of course the answer to 'this is that gush land? should be preserved ! for bona fide Bettfemgljt .by 1 i)ien of , small means. If the settlement wi? i have described is not bona fide, we 1 don't know what is, But the very advocates of the cry, " don't let the J Maori become homeless," say, "keep '

the land for bona Me settlement." How they reconcile the two sentiments we do not know, and they do not care to explain.