The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1898. CHURCH NATIVE SCHOOL RESERVES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10057, 8 June 1898, Page 4

The Press. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1898. CHURCH NATIVE SCHOOL RESERVES.

A PBOPO3AL submitted by the Premier to the Maoris at a native meeting at Pftpawai, in the Wairarapa, has not

met with the notice it deserves. It practically amounts to a confiscation of certain reserves vested in certain churches for educational purposes. We do not know if the people of the colony need be at all surprised at the fact of confiscatory proposals being made. The leader of a party that sees no wrong in putting on taxation with the avowed purpose of getting possession of people's property—"bursting up" estates as it is called—cannot surely be blamed if he submits a confiscafcory measure to the Maoris so pleasing to the aboriginal mind, that it is received with the Maori ejaculation of " Kapai." The Maoris saw no wrong in the past in ejecting tribes from their lands. The great cause of their ancient fights was a struggle by one tribe for the land of another.

We may state Mr. Seddon's proposal, and then suggest some reasons why he desires to give effect to it. Of course he will not even propose it in the House till heads are counted and he finds he has a majority at his back. That is what he understands by political management, though it might be called by another name. There are certain reserves in the North Island, among them some valuable ones in the Wellington provincial district, which in the early days were given by the chiefs and people of several tribes to churches for educational purposes. It is not necessary now to use the funds that are obtained from such reserves for ordinary elementary schools. The State is looking after the primary education of both pakeha and Maori. Seeing this the Anglican Bishop of Wellington approaohed the Premier as to whether he would assent to some measure so that the funds might be used for other than primary school purposes, but skill for the benefit of the Maori race. The fact that there were valuable educational reserves and some thousands of accumulated funds was a discovery for the Premier. It seemed to have affected him as a visit to London is said to have moved the German warrior, Bluoher. " What a city to sack," exclaimed the FieldMarshal, and " what a good thing to get hold, of these and other Church reserves," no doubt thought the Premier. At all events, without agreeing with the Bishop as to some mode of utilising the reserves, he went to a meeting at Papawai, and there uufolded his confiscatory scheme to the Maoris, who declared that that was exactly their idea. ./The late Judge Maning, in his most interesting book, tells a story that the last words a celebrated chief uttered —his " oha"— were " How sweet is man's flesh." So the Maoris at Papawai could not help greeting with enthusiasm a proposal that they should get back their land. There no doubt floated before their minds the struggles about the land in the past and the memories so revived were as sweet as the cannibal recollections of the dying chief. " Kapai te Premia" resounded through the pa. The Maoris, however, will be disappointed if they fondly imagine that they will ever have the handling of tho Church reserves. That will be kept for people of the w right colour" under the eegis of the Government.

The reason for the proposal is apparent. Last session the Ministry seized the moneys specially borrowed for the purchase of native lands and put them into the Public Works Fund, so that they might be spent on making roads, railways, bridges, &0,, &c. There is now no money to buy native land without more borrowing and the Public Works Fund chest is empty. The Premier has proposed to the Maoris that no more land be sold, but that all their land should be handed over to the Government to be leased and managed by the latter. The Native Land Policy that was announced and passed in 1894 has had to be abandoned. There is no more land to be bought, but the new settlers that are to go into the wilderness and make it blossom must do so as Maori lessees. Will this promote settlement ? The Maoris may not give any land near settlements to be leased by the Government, and so the reserves granted many years ago to Churches for native school purposes are to be seized and managed as the Government does manage its land. We do not say that if a, trust estate cannot be utilised for the purpose for which it was set apart it should not be utilised for some similar purpose. No doubt our Courts would do what English Courts have so often the trustees to use the proceeds for some educational purposes akin to that for which the reserves 'were set apart. The trustees need not be removed unless they misconduct themselves. It seems to us the fair thing to do is to let the reserves remain under their present management, but to declare that the proceeds are to 'be ussd for the higher education of the Maori race. Much has been done for this higher education at Te Aufce College, and with very'gratifying results. Why ; should not a similar institution to Te Aute be established, perhaps paying attention to scientific agriculture ? It would be unwise to force the Maori race into factories or into indoor industrial pursuits. That would mean killing the race. In addition to encouraging outdoor industrial pursuits by educational institutions, scholarships might be awarded to the most intellectual, so that they might attend some of'our University colleges. In this way the educational reserves could be utilised, and the measure to give effect to our proposal would not be oonfiscatory or revolutionary. For that very reason we fear it ia not likely to commend itself to Mr. Seddon.