NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1279, 7 November 1911, Page 4

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Sin JAMES CARROLL AT LEVIN. REPLY TO Mlt, MASSEY. Ulr 'i'elceraDli.- Suocial CorresDnmlnnU Levin, November 0. Jl.v way of replying to Mr. Massey's recent Sjir-ccrli ni Levin, and assisting (lie ( .1 ndidalure of .Mr. l:ield, Sir .lames Carroll journeyed hither to-rlny and addicted » i |: K i" the Century Hall. About m people were present, the hall being crowded. The .Mayor (Mr. I!. It. Gardener) presided. At tho outset of Ins Sir .lame.- Carroll deprecated acerbity, in political strife. He thought it i eg re I table that at each election more I hail at Hie previous one diil'erences arose which led to bil!crnc--s which was difficult to do away with afterwards. He alluded sympathetically to the loss .suffered by .Air. Massey in the death of his father. Perhaps with that sad event in mind he would not be so emphatic as he otherwise might in dealing with some parts of Mr. Massey's speech. Native Lands. Those who criticised the Native land administration hud much to say of millions and millions of acres of laud lying idle, bin they always cflniineil themselves to generalities. They did not mention anv particular blocks 01 land, and show tbn't the wrong thing had been done 111 any specific instance. lie claimed that a great deal had been done for settlement 011 the Nativo lands uncior the present Government, but they would remember how, under the old Conservative Government, almost all the land in their own district was under the primitive bush. They knew also how extremely diflicult it had "Ceu to acquire any Native lands, owing to the legal complications, but the growth of population and general development had rendered it necessary to introduce trosh laws. A state of chaos lasted down to the eightcen-iiinoties, when better » methods wore brought into existence, .securing to tho Natives a fair price for •their lands, and to the European settler 011 those lands a fair price. Nobodv blamed former Governments from the Maori War downwards for the old state of the Native lands, and it was not until recently that the Native land policy waV atacked. The Millister then read a detailed (statement of the conditions of the Maori lands in 1831 and now, as stated in a report which was presented to Parliament on tho last day of the session, and summarised in Tin; Uomis'ios. With tho balance of tile lands something must be done for the Maoris, who, it must bo remembered, wero not a conquered race, but had made a treaty— tiie Treaty of AVaitangi—which secured their lands to them and made them British subjects. No other subject coloured raco enjoyed the privileges which the Maoris enjoyed under the liritish Em'!™r.) The Europeans should therefore look upon them as brothers, and in that spirit fneo tho problem of what to do with tho balance of flio ■Maori lands aud with the Maoris themselves. Sharing the Samo Burdens. ITis own idea was that with education and industry the Maori should be niado an equal contributor in tho wealth of I ho count ry, sharing the .same burdens and the same taxation as tho Europeans, y iV'J 1111 , 1 lvaj ' co "'d ' lc cn i 0 >' to tho full all the benefits accorded to those who tell into line with tho requirements of the age. When that was done it would bo the limo for an equal handicap, weight for age; but beforo that could lie done they hail to get the Maori into lino and Protect htm with cortain safeguards. Ajreadr the Maori could sometimes cops with the European in a quick deal, but / ii 110 Ability. He was a creature of the moment. He was all right for a sprint, but he could not last like tho Europeans. It was not so very long ago that ho was taken out of the darkness of savagery and placed in tho dazzling light of civilisation'."'' From ! 18!li until to-day the Maoris had been allowed to part with four millions acres of 'heir lands nfid to lease three millions, and they had about three millions left. A quarter of a million of that might bo deducted as unlit for settlement. A great proportion of the balance should, lie thought, bo devoted to sonic schonic whereby they could make men of the Maoris and extend the lifetime of the race by putting them on the same footirj,' as tho Europeans. (Hear, Ji«vr.J The Maoris must bo settled on their own lands, and assisted with advances like European settler?, 'and by such means 40,090 Maoris could bo saved from coming upon the charitable aid boards. This was a matter of righteousness and justice, and he thought it should not bo treated as a party matter. The Mokau Inquiry, Tho Jlinister also dealt with tho Mokau inquiry. Ho regretted that Mr. Massov bad thought fit to discuss the matter oil t'fco platform while it was sub judice. No one 011 the other sido had violated i.n that way the ordinary proprieties which governed such things. (Hear, hear.) It was said that tho Government should have bought the iand for £'15,000, but if they had don eso they would have been blamed for giving (he Natives too little. Had tho Government bought the land they might havo been assailed with lawsuits by Mr. Jones, Mr. Hc.rrman Lewis, and tho Natives. The issuo of the Order-in-Collne.il permitting the sale of the land under conditions as to cutting up and sale was in tho public interest. If it was subdivided and sold, the .Maori Eand Board would hold it for the 'Natives. (Hear, hear.) It had been stated by Mr.' Massey that tho transaction was not in the interests of the Natives. A voice: In t'lie interests of speculation. Sir James Carroll: Everybody is a speculator when he wants laud. After reviewing the transaction, the Minister said that the Natives, by investing the £i! 5,000 purchase money, could get .£1250 a year, whereas if they had not sold 't'hey would only havo got £'lflO a year from the laud and would not; havo got the land itself into their own hands for 28 years. Surely it. was better for them lo sell tho land. (Hear, bear.) The Minister also insisted that when Mr. Massey in his original statement introduced the name? of Sir John Find lay, tho Acting-Premier, and Mr. M'Nab, he meant to convey the impression that Sir John Findlay, because ho nas a member of the Government, used his influence on the Acli.ng-l'remie.r in order to make a concession to Mr. M'Nab; but Mr. Massey denied that that was what he had intended. It was proved that Mr. .Vl'Xab was not in it at: tho time. The Minister's discussion of the Mokau transactions appeared to be keenly followed, and the expressions of the audience served to show that a considerable section was quite out of sympathy with his view of the matter. Tho Dreadnought. After this tho meeting began to get somewhat lively. When (he Minister defended tho Dreadnought ofl'er, someone exclaimed "Despotism." When still 011 the same subject he asked, "What was it 's"'' „ v oice at tho back exclaimed, "A title. Another voice asked, "What about the telegram P" "Tho telegram," said the Minister, "oflored tho Dreadnought snbjp(;t to ratification by Parliament." Well, replied the intorjector, "if wo are true Britishers we could not disagree, but we like tilings to bo done properly." Tho Ruapclui, In regard to an allegation or suggestion that .i'2-itlj), the east of the Suez Canal dues on the Ruapehu, on which Sir Joseph Ward and Sir John b'indlav came out from England had been pa.:d by (he Government, the Minister read a IcUor from ■Mr. Isaac t.iibbs, general Manager of the New /-calami Shipping Cnnpanv, stating that the Government had not paid, and was not liable to pay, those charges. It suited the Kunpehu to come by the Sue?, (.anal 011 that voyage, because the better , " K j£ ci ,lics 0 I,or to take an extia -000 ons of cargo in nlaeo of coel, and the additional freights about covered tho canal dms. (Applause.) This would refute a j-tatemuit which was reported lo have been made hy Mr" Monekton. People had been asi;ed to bflieve that the Prime Mini.-t-T trot a ccmuni'sion on «r?rv lean raided " "Do bp '.T v r, ."'a'S'l' ■1.1'". Car. , think you are too sensible lo bn.]fi\o <0, but it is extraordinary what things are being said all over tho country. Tho Land Question. Inferring to tho land question, tho uolicy'p r what was the Opposition ,

A voice: "Freehold. 0 The Miiiutw: "That's 110 policy. It's merely n dosirc to get what is smno* body flfo's." He proceeded to givd htfiuvs relating to tho progress of settlement, and submitted tho provisions ul the Family Land »Settlement Bill as ft land policy. < .Drawing a conclusion, tlin Minister quoted Mr. Fkshcr as hayJiitf said during the election campaign of three years ago tint ho was on buttcr with tho Ministry than bo* fore, and regarded them as honest men, find trusted thorn implicitly. If Mr. riMifr was true lo his conviction* when he said those words he should still, as a man, hold the Minister* in the samo commendation, lie (fiir .lames Carroll) ndimtiod that every Adminijilration was liaiKo to err, but tho prevent Government had never wilfully errod, and they behoved they wore right in their progressive policy for the betterment of tho. people and the development of tho countyy. (Much njiplanse.) Jn sort of jiostscript on local matters, the Minister snid he would inquire into tho v.-iFon for tho delay in with, applications for workers* dwellings. Ue expected that tho raoinj? lemslation under which tho ITorowhenuu I Club had lost its permit would be rcj viowrd next session. The Minister finished speaking at 10 minutes to eleven. Mr. Peter Bartholomew nircvod, and Mr. T)"gald Thompson Rtoondwl, a voto of thanks to the speaker, and coiifid'oneo in the Government. This wjw carried on a show of hands, but the groat majority of tho audience did not voto.