NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1902, Page 4

NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

The Premier, in addressing the native gathering at Putiki yesterday, made some important statements affecting the practical working of the new native land policy. Just a year ago the Native Minister visited the same district for the purpose of inaugurating the new departure in native land administration, on which occasion something like a quarter of a million acres of native lands were handed over to the Aotea Native Land Court to be dealt with for the benefit of the owners, Wow the position is, according to the Premier, that the Government will soon have 90,000 acres of Maori land in the hands of surveyors to be cut up for settlement, while there are fully a million acres "under way," and a further half million acres which its native owners have definitely promised shall be dealt with, at once in terms of the Maori Land Administration Act. The practical propositions of the Premier, made at yesterday's meeting, 'are — (1) That surveyors be at once employed to survey the lands available, apparently both as to external boundaries, roads, and' settlement areas ; (2) that a Chief Surveyor be appointed to advise the Native Councils and carry out their wishes; (3) that the cost of surveying may be defrayed by the Treasury and repaid by the native owners in instalments; and (4) that advances may be made by way of loan against Maori lands after they have passed a Maori Council. These appear to be wise proposals that, if carried into effect, will benefit' the colony by hastening settlement, and serve the native owners by giving them facilities for payment of their debts without being compelled to sacrifice their lands. Unfortunately, as we- think, the natives may sell their lands with the consent of Ihe Govern or-in-Council — a provision in the Act that was strongly opposed at the time by this journal in the interest of the native race. Indeed, we have always opposed further alienation in fee in favour of leasing by the Crown as trustee for the owners, and that was apparently the first intention and d«sire'of the Premier; but he found himself opposed by powerful sections of both races, and hence tbe compromise contained in the Act. Yesterday the Premier said that he felt confident that the Maoris would give an emphatic approval to his native policy, for it was one that would best conserve the true interests of the Maoris and bring about a greater measure of peace and happiness. We think Mr. Seddon may fairly claim so much, though it would have been better expressed had he taken so fair an opportunity to tell his listeners how much they owed to the conspicuous ability and long-sustained patriotic efforts of their countryman the Native Minister.