"THE LAST EXPERIMENT"

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 627, 2 October 1909, Page 14

"THE LAST EXPERIMENT"

APPEAL OF A MAORI CHIEF. WELLINGTON OR KING BDWAEDP . , (Bγ C. A. Youno.) ' . TnE DoiinnoN for September 21 contains the intimation that ■ Taiiigakawa Tβ Waharoa (a celebrated Waikato chief) is en route t6 Wellington, overland, for tho purpose of making a last appeal to the Now Zealand Parliament to' obtain a reasonable settlement for his countrymen of tho Native lands question. Let us inquire who tliis Huori chief is, and what. he. desires. ■'." .■■'•'■•■' ' '• Tupu Taingakawo To Waharoa is tho. son of Tarapipi 'i'o Waharoa, afterwards christened Wiremu Tamahana (William Thompson), and grandson of Tβ .Waharoa, a famous cnie'f of the Ngatihaua tribe, a contemporary of 'i'e Kauparaha, chief of the Ngatitoa tribe, and of Tβ Whero-Whero, all celebrated personages in early New. Zealand history, for To WheroWhero became tho first King of the: Maori people under the title of Potatau I, and Wiremu Tamahana is known in history as "The Maori King-Maker." Tupu Taingakawa Te Waharoa is of the highest lineage among Maoris, and is .the one Maori of, tho presont day, whose maim extends from, the North Capo to the Bluff. His is an honourable uairio and his reputation 'for honesty of- purpose to his people is above suspicions.ln him. is tho last hopo of tho Maori people that his representations will induce the pakeha to extend 'mercy to and/deal honestly with them. Unfortunately;'perhaps, for his..mission, -he is of the old school; and demands that the Maori be permitted: to dispose of his lands without the intervention , of the Maori Land Board, or any other of tho crafty artifices introduced into the law of tho laud by the Native Minister and a culpablo Government. And if only an all-wise Providence would' enlighten this Gov-, ernmont, and , grant them a glimpse of the history of New Zealand which is yet to come,' it. might prevail.upon them'to listen to this chief's petition with an attentive ear, and induce them, in mercy, if only as a last experiment, tp assist him in disposing of his land in accordance with the wishes of his , people. The Man and His Mission. .: , Were Government to accede to. his pelitioii, it may be that the long-olid sad story of colonial parliamentary bungling in the attempts made; to extend justice to the' Maoris while trying

to settle-'a'white 'papulation on their lands might find its relief—thon this plan of Tupu Taingakawa-. Tβ, Waharoa's would, under ivisa guidance, become the one satisfactory - effort which Maori posterity will Ijless them for. Ho is'quite as'anxious as.'auy.pakeha can he.to throw' his open; for settlement, but he wants his "people also to'bo'assisted to settle upou.such portion of their land'fls.thcy can manage,'aiid.iS;wishful and,', willing to join hand in hand with.. tlip pakelm in developing the resources of the Dominion. His character is open and holiest, if-eoraewhat distrustful of the pakeha (and no, wonder). :It'grieved him beyond measure to break away from his hereditary association,with'hisAriki, Mahuta, two yoars ago, but he could not,agree with the devious and dubious proposals of land settlement put .forward.'by fUenure Kaihau—which/ by the way, we're being debated at the recont meetings- at Waahi and: Ngaruawahia,: between, the Hon. • Apirama Ngatn; representing the Native Minister, and .Mahuta and his. (ill) adviser, Henare Kaihau, without arriving at any, agreo-■ ment. Honare Kaihau wishes to continue, the communistic system, but .Tupu.TaingaUawa.re-. cognises .that .that is'a. thing'of-.the past, and,, as has been remarked,- wishes his people to adapt themselves to: the' pakeha ways.. During the last fire,years he has been educating his people to accept his: views of-land settlement, and 50me.28,000 of them have signed a petition to-King'Edward;'praying: the Crown of-England' for help; but he. is .taking -this : petition, to-lay" it at the'feet of'th'e : Now Zealand Goyeramont first,' withVa -prayer: : tliat they 'will he reasonable, and assist:him'to.6ettle,the' lands of, his people in a way satisfactory, to both races. To those pakeha. who, in ignorance,of what the future may":contain, are.blindly agitating, for the breaking down of all and every form of Maori' landlordy; .forgetting that they themselves demand tho freehold, "would; it not be wise to adopt a more' live-and-lot-live policy? ■ ■-~■..". A.few'months ago, fis.thov could-.noisecure a\ press- notice .otherwise, peoploiinsefteditho^fo'lloWngt;advertisement in? the "New Zealand Herald":— ( - . ~ "The wholo tribes'niider.the-.leadership of Tupu Taiiigakawa Waharoa have a considerable area (held by us Ngatihaua). We are • aroused : ,to .pnthusiasm :'far . farming' operation's; , and'during the''past fow'^ears , -' wo' cleared 2293 acres,. and- laid, them' in grass.—Tβ Kowhiti,- inspector." :'. ■'-,.'■ '.'.'" And this, it may be. added, without any assistance from Government, there being no 'Advances to Settlers' Act for.the Maori.

If Goj/ernnißnt would Listen. ..;.. . - The reason wliy. the Maoris have, hitherto so strongly obiocted to ■'the. Government's seqiiestrution policy is twofold.. First,.because the matter was so 1 entirely, taken put of their own hnnds, and, secondly, because, no honest effort lin.i over been mado to settle; them upon a porj tiori of their laud. If the, Government would, listen' favourably to this 'reliable Maori chief ■his scheme would relieve'.them ,of : a political difficulty nud the"Dominion of a grave scandal. Th'i scheme provides for the Natives rendered landless by nefarious practices of. the.Native' Li'ud Purchase Department (unfortunately, legalised by Sections 8 arid 20 of the Maori. Land Settlement Act, 1905); and, secondly, the purchase money of such lands sold or leased by the Maoris themselves would bo looked after by their own committees. It is true that Tupu Taingakuwa is opposed to the sale of any land, 'bnt with the exercise'of a "little sweet reasonableness both sides would no'doubt find it to -their interests/to give,and take a little.. '' ' 'i'. '■'' 'i'..' ,"-.', :' : '.' .'■. . •''• .''■'■ His Land ' .-;, ' . ■;■/ ; '.. Briefly,. Tupu Taingakawa's scheme .for.utilising ■' the' 1 lands, of;' his; people .Ms to ; establish committees in'each district composed or reputable and qualified men, nominated and elected b.- the Maoris themselves. ■■'• Those/are .to .•Bβvested with full powers as:to-tho administration ot the land, each in their'own-district. It. wiil.be.their charge to bring all land into profitable'use; 'to'lease' land 'in allotments to desirable and-industrious tenants, ...to .provide land for thoso' who are landless, and to administer all rents and profits for the-benefit .of. the '. community. All lauds not .in profitable .occupation art-to'"bo I .thrown;■'open to the genial p-üblic. Such-cbinniittces, having'.; full powers I b act for tile 'owners,'-' would' be able to, issue valid-; titles,-- the : costly and unsatisfactory process of obtaining, signatures ..of downers, would bo obviated: Tiipu, however,, stipulates that the landless Natives mustw.ork any lands which 'they lease; and he'also .strongly .advises the Native owW to'utilise all the land which they retain 'for'themselves, .the fullest; return may. be obtained from the soil. If-this Maori were not generally respected because of -His rectitude of; character, one would hesitate to believe, he had-: the power and mithoritr to carry out his scheme to,the;satisfaction of Government supervisors. ■;; . v ■■"'■; .

Merits of the Scheme. . . The scheme 'is worthy of. trial , because it releases the: people from , inertia, and makes fo." progress; .and so,far the 'luir 'ueeu able to, do. anything i tlus People. | Tliev are:' sulky. and discontented, because of confiscatidus'.;:ana -many unjust wbraal rt would- surely' bis\ a.-positive, advantage to-get vertisemeiit' rircviously quoted is-an earnest, of their honestyl.of intention, and in addition it ■ may bo mentioned that a large .number of. men have been "for 'some time ongaged (under ailrice of Sir Robert. Stout's Commission) w clearing gorse .from off.the Waharoa Settlement. Tim land is to be then ploughed and tilled in. such manner" as will eventually■ result in eradi'cptinp the:weed:- Tho le-au-o Waikato Block of M.obo acres, with the exception of portions, leased to pakehas, is now being worked by I\atives, and 20,000 acres, owned by . Pepene liketone's people, near Ngaruawahia,:are,also beinj similarly dealt with. Cited at the Bar of History. , : • It will be a thousand pities if the Tailioa policy is permitted to-stand in the way.of this . nicvement of the Natives. In conclusion, it cannot be too'clearly.stated that.tho Maori has ■always .been .willing- to lease; or land,, but the Government has-ever stood I .in the way., The' methods,'of "delay: a'to . delay ;.m individualising <and"partitioning, 1 a too.'keen. desiro to .benefit. by, the; profits, of --sales, and-'/ a general Taihon, or ' ever putting, off till to-morrow what should be done ■'to-day. : The .Government .of tli;» colony,-Avill assuredly ho-cited at the bar of history and be : condemned by posterity for. its culpable and ' mistaken Natiyo,policy, and will be held responsible-for-tlio rapid detenora-; lion of this iino Native race.