MAORI LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 150, 19 March 1908, Page 7

MAORI LANDS.

JLARQB SATHERINB AT WASmil

TREATY OF WAITANQI.: .GOOD ADVICE BY LORD PLUNKET, SPEECHES BY THE PREMIER, AND HON; J. CARROLL. ; v (BT. TBIBGBAriJ.—PMSSS AMOOtATION.) : March W. 'A picturesque and interesting gathering of Maoris Was hold. at'':Waharoa tWlay to bring under tho''notice ' ofHii -Excellency tho Governor t and the ..Premier the allogod grievanfc&s';'of the .with' regard 'to tho coni , Tho Vice-Regal and Parliamentary, party, ..which-travelled to , WaliaToa by .special train, included Lord Piunket,*' Sir Joseph I Ward, tho'Hon.i Jambs.Oatroll / (Minister for_ Native 1 Wlion_ the 'party amved' at the '..station'' mot by ' representatives ;of. the. trilws,-assembled; and driven to where tlif meeting was to take place,at a Maori kaiabga,. .ajjput, %o':..miies >( tho ;Maori! ,-..wSrOi,assembled,in force,,.and elaborate preparations had" been r.ma'de tho reception oftho ''visitors';:'. They J were receiyod by Tent Tuhakaraina,' 1 iiophew of thb chief Tainga-•kawa,-'-wh'o,''-attifed*'ln C'nativ-e'.i costume, es-' coried party • througlr an aroh of . evergreens bearing tlio , Maoriinscription, Haereinai".' (come', hither).; The assembled .:-Maons 1 shouts 'of welcome, whiletho;w;bmen, atiired in .pictur--1 esquo, a series of native • oxercises.* A ? number of tent® and marquees had .been erected in a semi-circle at ono side of tho hamlet, and, tho visitors were aeoom-. 'modawHin ■ft , 'l4r'g<j''buildirti ' , bpen ;at the front. Tho Maori men ranged themselves in tho.form of a crescent in front, and squatted down to wait patiently for, tho proceedings to,begin. ... ~v . ..j. ■ . ; The^e:sas:.'a'great.'^ath!ering, i ;pf tho tribes, for a majority of the Natives iii the district l aro firmly convinced that Waitangi Treaty of .1840; has been violated, arid thus they have been unfairly treated by tho pakehas. ..Maoris. : wore present- from Tauranga, the country beyond Cambridge, "Rotbrua, the Thames; To Aroha, and the Tiing-Country. 1 ADDRESS OF WELCOME. { VOProoe(;diiig3 were opencdiby-il^c •tioh 'of- 'an address' ofTwclbome , ',{6!fche Governor, The address stated that it was His Excellency's first visit to these tribal families of the tribo callcd, and by tho.;namo ofj-Wailjato throughout, tho- length and ; breadth-.of what was known as the Wai- : kato district. The address, after, referring •to tho treaty established between'; Queen ■yjctoria.jand. tho; Maori hign chiefs in 1840)iwent on to; Tstato:— ' '-; . j : ■ "It is upwards of forty years 1 since the separation of our lands unjustly „fr,om. us.. . Thisi is, the word 'unjustly.'-' Not"thb l slightest thing .Was'd&tt.bjr. law-' ' .to investigate'the rights and the wrongs , v-beforo this extreme measure fell. ; Why _. , was it. not tried by. tho law? Many ' " representations similar to this have; been : • •made to the Governors and the Govern-

.j ! mentß., r'Word has i been received.froii the :J ,'.:Goyernor.;,'tbat3his grievance''-should re- : ' 'ceivo 'careful consideration. Whon it reachod tho Government'tho reply came t0,.-us.--that.',they.,bad.no „r,eply.!regarding i s .-) cibse 1' ;j7,The»*ef6re 4 nOTV* exprosa narnoly, ■ , ./tliat^tlwi.fiiw-'o£y-'^yi^j',; : confiscated,' 1 families ' -;,.fft|jD :whpiS;,'ffio£.sert takfeh'-Ky force -of ; •' many land's ori! n th"b''lslana telfen by fores i by confiscation for the •'wars .of Taranaki \ arid Taiirangai; arid'On the "o»st' f coast of ;, tho''Norfch-;islaiid,- : which are in suspension,MVo' '\vhidh hiiis been; con"si'dorod ? oiviitvestigated ibyvtheij law." •:'s3fe. address,. thelantl 'without ji trial by, ;law ..'of "this ' oxceedirigly - gravo-tcaso wafti 'wrong:—i '' ' r-^Vi! ; t|:Whyv;-shovild;-ffood : : -,be':"weighed rto-" -.- • -idetprminb'. it's' weight', V anctlcloth '■ bei'mea- ';■ " sured, t-0,-find .out its /length in yards, . arid yet this great matter, the confiscation of . tho land, why : was _ it not ' weighed j-to,--ascertain,! its. weight, or : . ! length; in feet P Tlie food, also'tno timber; also .the cloth, are measured. _ Why wore tho : lands taken by confiscation'for' the i war , not measured P - Therefore vre are Justi- ■■-. -fied in our statemeutsL.that^.it i .was uni. just that these hostilities should- fall , ttpon "our viands.;-- -Rather they should attack the' : Treaty .'of/Waitangi." . i /, ' \

"- '"TheS iMtitipnoVs prayM'jitbe-Governor personally 'torwird or causo:.th6 petition to: be delivered;:'into''th&'htoda'xof;'tho .King'Tho petition, which-has already been pub' lislicd, was, presented with tho- address. Tahanga Kawa*' chief of tho local . tribesmenj "ndch'cssod :tho and compared him-tS a Native bird, which flew only, occasionally. " Our raco is disappearing and - tho. lands. /are'.. disappearing,;": rsam , Tahanga'. . " AVo ask you to try and savo them. "Wo liavo little-t-p say» It is all em» .bodied in the address presented to you. . - ' , THE GOVERNOR'S REPLY. " His Excellency, in the.l course of his reply ( after thanking; tho Maoris»for-their addresi of welcome, said that wlioh the Maoris had petitioned him. previously ho had ventured to givo them some'advice'in reply, saying that "whether these things required Settlement ;or not, there were .many othe'r important things that tlio Maoris,-might do. They,had asked him to-U-opeat itliat- adv.ice :to;t,ho tribe, <and he would do so;;' :The.p.etition they had asked him to presoiit to tho King stated, among., other''things';' tliht tho.'Ti'eatyj'of" Waitangi • was n;>t being kept; and'that tho present laws of- Now- Zealand wero not in accordance with i£ arid'.'that, : ;coiikequBn'tlyJ 1 -'tho Natives :' wore rapidly beconiihg-dc&itute. ,He (Lord : - they-did-not : a. satisfact'orx-lanswer : . they. ;int6iided'to send.'Homo a-deputation to Jlie Majesty the King." Ho (Lard not, at tho prcseiit 'timei propose to go into tli6'"(juestibn of< tho 'confiscation .of glands, nor ,did ho propose to speak piily''.sympathetic words to them, though' it" Avould ■ bo'-; Very oasy'for hini to do soi - Ho would tell, them the truth as'. it ; itsfelf..to -,-him. First, ■ as>'.to- the proposal . to solid Home a deputation, to His Mhjbst.v -the!' King. " Tho older men among the tribes would Vctnomber that when previous Native deputations wont to Her Majesty Queen. Victoria thoy were invariably told that tlio affairs of, the; Maoris 'and" Europeans in 'Now "Zealand: concerned tho Government of Non , 'iZca!and;i'-'aiid>'-noK the- Home authorities; .They, had: been .givet constitutional gjivernment,:; and _t!iey . must carry out that, government themselves. Con. stitutional eovernin'orit' was" never" interfered with. If tho Maoris wore so foolish'as to send Home, ,a, deputation . that was what would happen. And iibw, as to tho petition. It was stated in tho petition before him, and the one he had received at Wellington, that ttliovTreaty' J of:AYaitangi,.was,not,.Carried, out' as :originally, speoifietl.- That., was..perfectly ti-uo. No one,denied it; but time changed, 'arid" 'what' jvaS Biiiti\'blo ;at; one. period was 'not . suitable at * another; It was a question . 'of l fair .treatment- and not ; of. particular • clauses.lf - they asked to.': Kayo certain'. clauses . of' tlio,, Tt'eaty repealed, 1 ' many of had passed' the time; when ' tho King ! could ropoal thom. Tho Now Zealand Government .mpant to do .l ight by tl)o. Maori peoplo. It was ono; of ,tho. proudest boasts of the " British 'it tried'to ; treats the native races fairly. Some of the laws the Maoris cbmplained' of- might : require porroction , or . improvement.:;, r -,Thes, might : not always'work out as' they were''ihtended, but he thought ithe-Natives would be much wisor in- prossing upon tho" Government and pressing .upon'' tlioir., Natiye-.mombers to endeavour to improve wherever there was a \ i'than' ; make such an impossible

demand as to have these;laws repealed.' He spoko not as a Governor; but as one who would liko -to bo their friend./ . Tho Treaty of Waitangi was a "blessing in the -earlier days, but it was becoming a great curse whon thoy relied upon it altogether instead : of making tho most ;of their, lands. There . wore .tribes with • plo'nty ;of landj- and-yot they were: dying out. -There wore, tribes . who could not .find, a grievanco, and yet thoy were dying out. His-Excellency told his hearers tho fable of the dog who dropped his piece of meat in tho brook, and pointed ■. his application of it'by. advising tho Maoris; not to drop tho substance for the shadow. . There' were' other things equally as important for- tho Maori, as 'the:Treaty'of Waitangi/ Thoro was tho question of modern education • for Maori children,- 1 tho 'teaching of agriculture -:in- all tho --Nature''schools, a modern: and --better -;'sy'stein : of' farming, .'and improved sanitation 1 and drainage in Maori homes and villages.' Ho 1 advised tho head men, m conclusion, not-to> think only of the' Treaty of Waitangi and confiscated lands; but to think of'what good they might ■do for their ■ people m tho projent, and they would be benefiting thoir people-and '.doing' themselves honour.-

SPEECH BV THE PREMIER,

i : Tho. Pnmo\Minister, said ho wanted ,to impress'upon them .tho .constitutional position; It was only natural for them to .try and get to a higher power than tho Govern- ■■-..< mont, wlioro responsible government existed 110 wanted to say ;a:~ few. words about. the question of confiscation. The old Maoris ■i / /would- remember/that they .were warned that v their'-lands would bo' confiscated if;they.were rebels;- --This was,- the ; law ••of. ' nations; f • Tho /.Now Zealand Government of' to-day was n'ot • responsible- for what had.- happened sin the ;;;: earlier'days, -but-- they .took up-the .position- .', as they found it. The Treaty of Waitangi said tho Native .lands -must bo protected, and : they were being protected: - They-must also v. not overlook. the fact ■ that many,things. were' ; being done for' the Maori which wero not provided -for in the. Treaty.Many of them : - -wore receiving old ago pensions, but the peti- : had raised 'a; big question,: and they, must, ': recognise -that,:'whon. I :'big-;question" >was .. at stake, tho flome authorities .were bound: to - sond; them.'tortheir. : own : ;country.'.. Tho-Gov- .,- :ornment recognised. iti;was. a right-and pro- •. per .thing'.to help ■ the pcoplo of this country, whother.they were Maoris or Europeans. The •/. Government was prepared to help tho Maori : much further by advancing him money to . help him to improve >'his land on scientific :• principles. Tho, whole: position■ of .the 'Maori ,m trqublo.. was.involved -in:the'-question/of, the Maori land: ' If .the Maori was industrious lirid/caltivated 'his- land'assiduously, 'much ,of. • the; trouble ■ that -ho had / piledup; for him:.v -ii self :;w6uld-'t disappear.;;. : Thero-..were' . four V -, .Maori','representatives .in the. lower House, r.;; and several .in'ythe/Upper . Hoxisoi ' .who 'were cnergetic- and watchful .in the Nativo- inter-. . est-s. . There was every desire on tho part ,// of the Government and Parliament ;to have . a- practical settlement :of-the Nativo land difficulty,- which -had' existed, so long. . They . did not want to deprive -the -Natives of' a . single acre of thoir.land. .He did ,not-wish to provent.them approaching the-English Gov.ernment iin . the/matter, but ho' believed it would bo labour in-i vain;. The* remedy was ... at their own door, in the , Parliament of-thoir country. \ REMARKS B,Y THE HON. J. CARROLL. . The Hon. Jas.- Carroll'dealt-exhaustively - (Pith' the petition ■ about which he satd much misconception • seemed to - exist. While' the ... : spirit of the: Treaty had in. the/main been idhered to, changes in the law had of necessity been made 'from:;tim'o, to;time .to meet . sxisting conditions. ./- . However sincere the .;: Natives; were -in - their, - petition; : their past : -. . dealing- with Maori ; lands showed they had ■ not beon' consistent.'ilh' onfe'breath'they com-' plained - bitterly'- thatvjiheir 'lands' ; were' slip- / ping away; from; themj and in the-next-they • jesieged .'him rwitlr applications for removal .. of restrictions in ; order that they might soil it. _ The.' Act. of 1900, which was specially designed, to 'protect .their interests and perimttqu 'lowing principally, .did "not meet with favour,iafc-.their hands,-the result being that a clause was inserted : into to enable -purcha,ses to-.takev.place;-' Though ; in operation only a little than : a n year a great-number of/sales -had; taken -place, J and if this had gone on -the' 'Nativos" would • soon , have been entirely-'without' lands. ; He , : urged the : Natives /.to-- give 'up squabbling . among themselves,/ to unite .in a common • causo,' to come down to reality with the - .■determination: to educate-'themselves in - dairying, farming, V.' sanitation, and other matters, and .they : would'-not' : only 'provide. /' for thoir own material prospering,; and'that - of their.^families,'; but' they'.'would: remove' • from their doors -all cause of 'camplaintj- and ; would find ■' many willing workers -to -assist them; on -. the' road > ; to> progress.- The' present . Government was very/ anxious that the. Natives, should - have every: opportunity to cultivate .arid ■ improve .[their lands, and 1 only. /.;■•' wanted .some evidence from them that they , -desired to' proceed. on; these .lines. He advised them to make the most of the presenco of the Native' Land Commission,- when' it . came among them., They could consult with the Commissioner in the open before all tho people ;interested, and it would rest with them to show what' thoy: wanted doiie' with their lands: Tho Commissioner would then ■ reportj and the law would givo effect thereto.' ' -" ' //■: ■/ - CONCLUSION. ; Taingakawaka brought-tho gathering to a , . close/by . remarking that he could not reply iboon-■ said ss/tho timo "was so short, .but he would consider what had been : spokeny: and : give.-, them -'an-: answer.-' ' I party Stayed at -Hamilton last night,_ . and ; to-day, Tthey to Ngaruawahia.jwhere the primo .Ministerwill , address another Native/gathering. In-the afternoon , : Sir Joseph , Ward .will go" on to liotorna. ; //':. ; .