NATIVE LANDS PURCHASE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1929, 15 November 1884, Page 2

NATIVE LANDS PURCHASE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — In my previous letter to your paper I asserted that the Native Land Settlement Act would have the effect of completely shutting up the King Country. My reasons for saying so are, that from the terms of the act, the Natives have no security that once ha\ing patted with their lands they will ever receive one penny of the money duo to them, there being nothing in the act to that effect, further than a vague statement that the money will be disposed of as the Govei nor may see fit. A question naturally asked by the natives is, why should their lands be charged with the co.st of forming roads in contradistinction to lands already bought from natives, where no such charge was made ? Again, it would appear that as soon as these lands may be passed through the Native, Lands Court they will under the Native Lands Rating Act 1882, be charged with highway rates. After the lapse of 4 or 5 years what would be the net value of the lands to the natives ? Take for instance a block of land in the neighbourhood of the proposed bridge over the Puniu River, valued at, say, one pound per acre. Immediately on the block passing through the Native Lands. Court it would be liable to be charged ten shillings per acre expenses of court surveys, roads, &c, also with highway and county rates. Then if sold by the Government Commissioner there is the additional charge of commision as per act, not less than 2\ per cent. I presume, the balance if any would be paid in to the fund provided by the act, leaving it a matter of uncertainty as to how much the natives could get. Can there be any doubt that the natives will certainly decline to avail themselves of such legislation. I think that no one who ever had any land transactions with natives will credit them with sufficient faith in the honesty of others to induce them to trust themselves and their lands to the mercy of such a law as this. No European would place his land in the hands of the Government for disposal on similar terms, therefore how can it be expected that the natives will do so, the past twenty years having fully proved that they are perfectly able to live after their own manner without selling or otherwi.se disposing of a single acre of their lands, and are therefore equally able similarly to exist for another twenty or more years ? Thus there can be no doubt that until sufficient inducement be offered the natives will decline not only to sell their lands but even to put them into the Native Lands Court. Legislation re native lands during the past two or three years induces one to think that it is the interest of the clique who pull the strings to shut up the King country for such tinie as may suit themselves, for it is impossible to believe that it is for the good of the country at large that such an extent of country should be allowed to lie idle and yet the taxpayers be put to the expense of making and maintaining a profitless railway through it. It would appear strange that bir Julius Vogel's Ministry should apparently have overlooked that paragraph in the Governor's Speech of which I presume they were the authors, which to the beat of my recollection said * that it would be useless to bring in legislation affecting native lands which the natives would decline to avail themselves of. — I am, &0, E. MawWABING. Jjfthikihi, November 13th 1Q34.