THE NATIVE LAND COURTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 5, 6 July 1906, Page 4

THE NATIVE LAND COURTS.

"Perhaps the woret-managed department in the Public Service is that pertaining to the Native Land Court. No system whatever exists, and all is chaos and confusion." Such is the cheerful intimation which we recently received from our correspondent "Anglo-Maori," and we have the best of reasons for believing that he speaks by the book. "Courts are advertised to be held at certain places and on given dates, huge cause lists, containing obsolete claims to land that have been dealt with finally many years previously, are printed. at vast expense" — and then when the clans have gathered from all parts of the North Island to prosecute their claims, an adjournment is announced for days, weeks, or months, as the case may bo, and they are sent back again, perhaps to have the process repeated when the time fixed by the adjournment has been • reached. "Numerous appeals," cays our correspondent, "—several hundred i in fact— some of which are over a dozen years old, are still outstanding, and thus the progress of the North Island 1 ; is retarded through valuable native lands being kept idle, and the unfortunate* owners in a state of semi-starvation." - The Native Minister is one of the most courteous and amiable of men, but the department of which ho has been the nominal head for so many years would be better served by a gentleman of less engaging qualities, who would not show himself so amiable in the presence of such monstrous abuses. The final settlement of the native land question is a problem of great complexity, requiring genuine statesmanship for its proper solution, and here and there amid their many spasmodic and inconsistent attempts to deal with it the late showed torn* gleama of statesmanship which wo . w»rg xlo4 to recofchiie j but tg

the intolerable abuses to which our correspondent testifies, not a statesman, but only a political mechanic of ordinary intelligence and energy, is required. It is a mere question of administration and procedure that is involved, and the analogy of our other courts should supply a sufficient basis for action with a little aid from the native experts. The famous suit of Jarndyce v, Jarndyce did not "drag ita slow length along" more woarily than the investigation of the land titles of the Maoris to whom, as wards of the State, we are under a special obligation to see speedy justice done, and if Mr. Carroll's ingenuity cannot suggest a remedy, he could easily get the naceasary help to enable him to provide one. Without any change- in the system a wise step was taken a short time ago in the reappointment as Chief Judge of the Native Land Court of a, gentleman d«ecribed by our correspondent as " of the highest legal attainments, a, ripe scholar, and of unrivalled experience in Native Land Court procedure and Maori customs, and withal an honourable, independentminded man." Such an officar was admirably adapted to make the best of a bad system, and he has, as our correspondent says, "devoted himself assiduously to clearing off the very heavy arrears of applications for rehea rings and in initiating the most necassary improvements in the working of the depart- 1 ment." A few weeks ago, however, everybody who has the interests of the v.'ork at heart was grieved_ to learn that ho was resigning his position at the end of the present month; but " AngloMaori " states that it is not a case of voluntary retirement, but of notice to quit. "In fact, he is 'sacked' to make way for a far less capable and an inexperisneed person, i who happens, however, to bo a political favourite, and therefore the more likely to carry out tho bidding of tho Government. The general impression is that he has merely b&sn used as a stop-gap till the country recovered from the shock of this favoured individual's last appointment." Our correspondent adds that if this is correct, "a more bhameless exhibition of political patronage could hardly be conceived " ; and wo .entirely agree with him. Mr. Jackson T>almer was appointed to his present position — in fulfilment of a prophecy mode by Mr. Taylor and, if we remember rightly, officially denied during a stormy debate on the Licensing Bill of 1903 — not because he was the best man in New Zealand for the work, but because he was a lawyer who had political claims upon tho Government, and had just lost his seat for Ohinemuri. If he is now further promoted to oust from the highest office iv the court a gentleman who has almost ideal qualifications for the position, it will bo enough to provei that- the present stop-gap Government, though too feeble to face Parliament for ,i week, is, at any rate, strong enough to perpetrate a most flagrant and audacious violation of a public trust. As our correspondent urges, more liberal salaries, fixed districts, regular sittings, less erratic procedure, and absolute freedom from noli-, tical jobbory are Iho things which tho Native Land Court mostly needs to redeem tho country from a prave reproach. V'ith so many vacancies available in the Legislative Council, Government has surely no nesd' to look to the Chief Judgeship of this important court for a reward for a faithful follower.