LEASING NATIVE LAND.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 3

LEASING NATIVE LAND.

experiences of a new chum. Sir,—l was asked by some Native owners to pay a' lien. for. survey of their land, and they said I could have the land for souio years for the lien, i paid off the lien. They then introduced me to a very nice, plausible Native, who spoke English better than most of them, and informed mo he was a Native interpreter. I engaged this Native at so much for the job and expenses,' meaning travelling expenses'. He had to find who owned the land, get their signatures to an application to a Government. function— run mostly for those who run it—called the Maori Board. This board has to investigate! titles, stop settlers from get-, ting started, and use up as much of . the settlor's spare cash as possible before he gets a' start. I got this lease passed by this board, and foolishly imagined that was the end of it. 1 did two years' solid toil; got the land fenced and part grassed, a houeo up, got married, and my cash got short. I then sent my.Government deed of. lease to the Government Shylocks for a loan. They; would not lend until, this deed was registered. I put. it before another Government function, called the Native Land Court. This Court gaid it was no use" until another owner signed it. After four months' loss I found and got this' man's signature. Then it was registered. Now it is four years since I started getting this lease, from the Natives. I charged, my Native interpreter with carelessness, and also my solicitors. They say it was not their fault, as those appointed by Government, gavo the names I got on the application, anc} left out the name the Nativo Land Court wanted. So I have been misled and delayed thus through no carelessness, of mine or those who were employed to get tlie lease. The officers appointed by Government caused the loss. by an omission, and I should be ablo to get damages for this delay. It is. a blot on the administration of this part that sueh w.aste should be borno by the class who go out back and make these wastes produce. If the people have the willpower and money to get ahead o! all difficulties used, as stepping-stones by the successful settler and mountains inaccessible to the unsuccessful, these pioneer settlers deserve all tlie help the Gqvenment cau give them,, instead of being hindered by such • institutions as Native land functions. , Canada shows us a good example in settling waste lands. Areas larger than New Zealand are settled there each year. Railways afe . first made there. The railway company builds farm-steading, puts'up fences! "and ploughs, some for a start. Thus the settler, •: or emigrant-as called there, has a' good start, and' gets a crop first year. Compare, settlement hero with there, and, oh, what'a differ,enco! Our "country, is better as. to climate. but Canada is a farmer's land run by and for those who go out West and bravo the frosts of , winter and; dust of summer, thus pushing on tho'fast-increasing. prosperity of a.land not,so gifted in climate and other natural advantages as ours. We naturally ask why New Zealand is not run on Canadian _ lines. I can answer that since the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon started running this country for tho Labour unions instead of the bone and sinew of;the land,, tho pioneer settlers, dissatisfaction among . those who produce our wealth from their • patient thankless toil on the land has resulted. To make our advancement more rapid we must settle all waste lands. Our North Island is not so big . as. Manitoba, the great wheat producer of our nation. Wo, one and all, buyers,- sellers, and labourers, all who live from the wealth de-. rived from the land, know when all our waste lands are settled I'.liero will be' six times, as much money passing around to be used in our local centres. Trade, labour, exports, and imports will' rapidly increase and wo all, no matter what our trade or profession, benefit. Population also will increase. Our little Auckland province will be one of the most prosperous on earth. The land made productive is wealth. Idle land is a curse to us all. : Elect' not' professional politicians,, but men pledged, to, open all waste, lands so that emigrants can get a'title as soon as they want land, direct from tho Crown. Thus' only can we be successful. The word "Taihoa" spells procrastination and waiting for years for a title, whilo other Dominions give one as soon as tho emigrant puts down his dollars. Election .time we ono and all, men apd women, must unito for our future succpss. Wipo out Taihoa. and- the Native officer; give the Natives their , land and they can sell or work it. Wo want a Government run for our behefit, not for those who hold office.—l am etc., ': ■ • . , NEW CHUM.