Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1906. A PROBLEM OF THE HOUR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 81, 5 April 1906, Page 4

Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1906. A PROBLEM OF THE HOUR.

The review which we published yesterday of the present position of the Native Land problem probably conveyed to a good many of our readers the first intimation that any active steps were being taken to carry out the important legislation which was devoted to the question last session. Few subjects oan bo named which are of more vital concern to the rapid development and/ permanent wellbeing of the colony, and few which, with the best passible intentions an the part of the Legislature, have occupied more of its time to l^ss satisfactory purpose. Whether in the contentions of labour unionists moving the Arbitration Oourt for "higher wages, or in the case put forward by the Government and approved by Parliament for increasing oldage pensions and establishing dwellings for workers at the cost of the State, or in the bitter cry of the disappointed immigrant, no feature of our social conditions figures more prominently than tho exoessiv© cost of land, both urban and rural, and the consequential burden of high rente. Many causes are contributing to this serious drawback to our general prosperity, and of the many remedies which have been suggested, none is so little open to controversy or ! 60 oertain to be helpful without any setoff or reaction as the proposal to mitigate the intensity of the demand by enlarging the area of supply. Ajid where is there any area available which can compare with the vast quantity of nativeland still remaining, for the most part, in the same condition us when. Captain Cook first set foot on these shores? As we stabed yesterday, the approximate area of land in this position and at the same time suitable for settlement is 5,000,000 acres. The land being at present absolutely useless to anybody, there is no conflict of interests involved in the opening of it for settlement, since it is as much to the benefit of th© Maori that he should get some profit, from his land as it is to the benefit of the European settler that he should be allowed to cultivate it at a fair rent. The main principle for which we have long contended ns requisite for an honourable and statesmanlike solution of tho problem is that the rights of both rates, should bo gjven equal recognition by a scheme, which, recognising Ihe incapacity of the_ Maori to manage his own affairs in this respect, would appoint some public authority to act as his trustee in letting the land, collecting the rents, and accounting for ,the bnlance after deducting the co3t of administration. With some unfortunate qualifications, this principle received recognition in the Maori Land Settlement Act of last year, which despite those qualifications is an exceedingly valuable measure. By this Act Maori Land Boards, each composed of three members — two Europet.n and one native — appointed by the Government, tvere given the control of native land in their respective districts ; and power was given to them to resume waste land and land not suitable for native occupation, [ and to administer it for the benefit of the Maori owners. Owing to the opposition of certain Maori members the operation of this provision was limited to the North of Auckland and the Waiapu districts, but the necessary extension can easily be made us soon as the experiment has proved successful within its present limits, aud we wish that the more radical blot on the measure — the clause which autLnrises the alienation of freehold of land st- resumed — was as certain of a prompt and easy remedy. With regard to the administration of the measure, some little time has naturally been needed foi creating the new machinery and setting it in motion, but it was with great satisfaction that we were abl6 to announce yesterday that " although the Boards have oniy been in operation for a few weeks, a good start has been made, extended leases are being applied for, and tho Government is steadily acquiring large areas of land by purchase." It is good news indeed that an Act so full of promise is not being allowed to remain a dead letter, and also that, ''if this new departure docs not justify itself, tho Premier and the Native Minister are determined to take another course to Justify their object, »vhich is to settle the surplus Maori land on conditions fair to the natives and acceptable to the European lessees." As the machinery is now in good working order, any defects should have revealed themselves in ample time for' treatment by Parliament before ihe close of the v approaching session. Neither Ministry nor Parliament should rest until the whole of those 5,000,000 acres have been settled.