NATIVE LANDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 547, 30 June 1909, Page 4

NATIVE LANDS.

V Sir,—lt is difficult to believo that any { - I rational person can take exception to jour t i repeated claim—and job cirinol; .repeat it too ; \ often—that the question of some use being • , theso lands is the most urgent no\w awaitmg solution. The numboi of applicants 1 at every ballot, the .increasing trend of our > population to the towns, the lack of 'employment, are all evidences of what cannot/ be ;<■' controverted And what hopo'vs theio of : i amendment? ( , The present position is the outcome of ~ , eighteen years of uninterrupted, practically undisputed, Liberal administration. Prior ■ to 18S)0 any Goverrment could argue that its policy never a ohanco At each election ( the Government went out, and anything like ; v continuity of policy or administration was ,<t impossible. But tho present crowd havo had oightcen years m office, and wo know tho result. Nor h tho reason far to seek. i " Tho four Native members are always Government vote*. They are not deemed competent to manage their own affairsj Not i' onj of thorn could sell a quarter of an aero J without the consent of the grandmotherly ! , Crown. But any ono of them can vote upon tho question of how any land shall bo dealt with All four of them can alwjys bo relied upon to voto against allowing Crown i tenants to acquire the freehold, or in. favour ( of increasing European taxation, or m fav- \ i our of anything tho Government may pro-' \ pose. On all questions, such as tho Arbi- \ tration Act, land, minjig, education, taxo--1 \ tion, anything you like, there are always four vote that tho Government can abso- \ lutolj rely on. And tho canmo of it is that \ not one o' these four men is responsible to \ a European constituency. Think of it. Sup\pose that at next olecbon Mr. Mnssey secures 39 absolutely unqualified supporters, , \nd Sir j6soph Ward only 37; ont of tho 76 ~ luropean members. A later four •AaOn members are elected,'- and Sir Joseph Wird has a clear majority, dospito the vordie\ of tho European constitnoncics I say ngan, think ofut, four men voting on quofljions of the greatest import to Enro- ■*■*, and to

European constituency. Their ■ allegiance has boon rewarded, and their loyalty cemented, of -.th-eix:number ■ to a portfolio.'' What can yo'jiVexpect from... /such/a "situation?.,/ .■ '• . ■' •"/- . . . ]

/ "The present position: is undoubtedly 111 accord-with .thc.Swishesi of- the' Maori: 1 'Ho pays; neither" land tax'nor local'.rates. V. Ho likes to' own land to look at, .but not to work. Work ,is not 111 his line. - Ho 13 all there, ,at brief burstvdf. highly-paid work,, but "continuous .. application no Ho ; 'ivon't. uso his lauavhimsolf/nnd. won't let : ,üß;'.'use : "it'.- Tho /.conscqucrico is that it .'is every year , J'sees'-increasing'•'quantities' of 'it:.remJered permanontly..:t]so!dss.;,; If'a European ..owns ; ten thousand acres, and so improve3.it that ho shears 20,000 sbeop, Liberal politicians bankrupt tho resources of abiiso over his: ■ Jniquities.>;.,.But tho ,Maori '.who .does .not .'shear/'one ,sheqp; .";they;; taka: to" tKoir ;• llosoms „ands coddlel fVAn.d all'because by doing so 'thoy.spcura.'fovir'Maori ifttca' in-Parliament.: ft cariiibt bo too. often or too 'plainly ' re? peated that the . and v unqualified 'support' which ; the -'Maoris icxtend to the Government, is .evidence-of, a compact. ."Keep ; bay. i. Sell - his in-' terestsfor our party vote. Heap every, kind of restriction, taxation, and inspector upon : him, 1 and: wo;' will.iVotc.;with' 'you-every: time. Tatar his 1 land him t under the . Lands for'TSittleinent / Act,'' lint "seo' that''it, does not apply ,to ours. Keep him -at bay. If 110 becomes restive, fob' him off with' a commission. :: Jlalce a show of passing; legislation, but see to/it that: year''shall: 'contradict I !'and. its predecessors, v Look .wise, keep vour ; faco your' sincerity ."threaten , if. vou like, but keep him oft.".. And so .it has becri'./for eighteen.years. : So it will be for 'another.-eighteen; or eighty,. if the Liberal party lasts so long.. If Mr. Massey has: no other: claim Vupon tlio European community,, ;ifc'i.is; ni'oro,'than;' enougliuthat'lie would bring tbithe ,solution of,the .Native land'.question,a/ mind '.unfettered' by any sense ofparty gratitude to Maon M.P.'s; In • tho faco of any determined attempt to deal 'with this question in a practical, spirit) V I; - the :: fanciful ' difficulties -/which ; 'sophistry ' has: created would molt , away, as Mr.. Hogg pocrticaUy ; :obsoryes;' like mists,'.before/tho; rising sun. Anyhow,.it seems worth while to makbthe; attempt-V-" Eighteen '-yeare.'of.'Xib-: oralism having - only confirmed ; tho. Maoris, 'inl/ thoir ' policy, it is surely time to;-, give/ something else a. chance.—l ■ amy/etc.,. j :,• EUROPEAN Juno 26.