NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1587, 2 November 1912, Page 4

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

The importance of the Native tand question is now fairly •well recognised and there is, wo believe, good reason to hope that with a new Government in office greater energy will be displayed in dealing with it than has been the case for many years past. The idea of the new 'Minister for Native Affairs,' Mr.' Berries, is that the Natives should be Europeanised—that they should be educated on lines that will make them useful citizens and qualify them' to.hold their own in whatever branch of life they may aspire to. Wisely, he prefers that they should remain, on the land and that their training should go in that direction. This is unquestionably in the interests of the Natives themselves, although, of Course, there would always, be some proportion of the younger members of tho rape who would quite reasonably desire to follow other occupations and professions than farming, and could do so. Already some members of the Native race have: won- success in different professions, and the tendency has been rather in the direction of doing that sort of .thing in- the mat- j ter ■ of tho education of the Maori. The' desire of the Government appar-1 ently is that the Native should as rapidly as possible bo removed from the spoon-fed stage in which he has dallied over-long; and be encouraged to realise his r'esponsibilites and act for himself. This, of bourse,' cannot be hurriedly, and Mr. Berries made it very clear on Thursday evening that while he held tho portfolio of Native Affairs he would take care that tho interests of the Natives, as well as those of the European population, were properly safeguarded. s In pursuance of his Europeanisinpr policy we Bhmild like to see.the Minister give some attention to the question of the representation of the Native race in Parliament. At the. present time certain aspects of this question border ,on the farcical. For instance, a few' hundred Maoris in tho South Island are given a member whose vote is the equal of other members who represent thousands of constituents. This is quite absurd. Why should the yote of a Maori in the South Island be equals to the vote of ■, say, ten or twelve Europeans in the Councils of the nation? Then again, Natives escape certain tax.' tion—why then should their setitatives be permitted to Vote on matters' affecting such taxation ? It is wall known to those familiar' with the doings of Parliament that the: Native member?' usually' take. littl'd

of no interest in general questions dealt with by the House bt Representatives, but their vote, on these matters ib always available, to their, party. Tliero are questions of gen' cral concern no doubt in which individual members of the Native race take a close interest, but that is the exception rather than the rule. v lf then there is to be special .Native representation, to meet the special circumstances of the Native race, why should the Native members exercise the same full powers as are given to their fellow members, elected under such different conditions 1 It is a very difficult matter we know to decide where the dividing line should be drawn; and that brings us to the real question at issue. Why should this special Maori represeritatioiij which may have met the needs of a past day, be continued? Why should there be special Native representation at all? We doubt very much if the interests of the Natives would be in any way prejudiced; and we are confident that it is only a matter of time, and not a very" long time,_ ere Parliament and the country will'come to the conclusion that tile existing system has .served its purpose and should be done away with.