The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6000, 17 November 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1890.

A good many candidates for Parliament in reference to uative Lmds speak as though it would be the earnest thing in tbo world for the Government to acquire the tribal estates of the Maori,, if a certain sum of money were voted for the purpose It is fair to state that tho candidates who speak in thut way are unacquainted with Maori character. Iv the ilrst place tho natives are not anxious to sell their hind when they cau let it at a fair rental, and, secondly, an offer to buy on behalf of the Crown is tho last which they would consider. It must be also remembered that for some years past the public have been saturated with the fads of lundnationalists, and tho natives have not been slow to pick up tho idea thut if it bo good for the State to own tho land it is equally advantageous to tho Maoris to let their estates rather than soil them. No ono can blame them for this, and we are quite certain that the natives aro far batter off aa landlords than they would be if they sold out. The Maoris who havo sold the most of their lands and who are now living ou what thoy reserved for themselves, aro, comparatively speaking, iv poor circumstances, while their neighbors who ate in receipt of routs arc wealthy. The natives see this for themselves, aud naturally show tin increasing disinclination to sell. Mr Ballance, however, .seems to be still under the impression that the Maoris can bo tickled info selling to tho Cr-Mvn, thout.li lie, when Native Minister, had a lamentable experience to tho contrary. What .-bould be done was suggested by Mr Swan in his recent address to tho eleotors. The whole oi the North Island ought to be divided into unlive districts having in each a permanently appointed Land Court Judge and Assessor, with power equal to that which now can only be exercised by two Juuffes s.Uufctogother. Thero would then be r,.o ie chance for the speedy .übdivi.iou of tnnal_ lirodb by tbo individualisafion e_ tho claims .of ownors At present tho mdividualisatkm of these claims rtuoly extend to individuals, but is mostly confined, to families, to whom are awarded such lurgo blocks of land that none but capitalists can hope to buy, or even to lease. Th_ee

fimilies, as distinguished from hapus, con- ' sist of numerous members who are often widely scattered, whose unanimous consent is required beforo any of their land can bo thoroughly alienated. Now it follows that if the Maoris are to be induced to sell their lands they must first be led to absolutely divide their family estates amongst the individual owners, and this can only bo done by placiiur every facility in their way by the establishment of district Land Courts. On the principle that separate sticks can be broken which are irrefriuiblo when tied together, so only can the Maori title be completely alienated when it is individualised.