Native Lands

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 103, 21 February 1891, Page 3

Native Lands

In dealing with the Natives and Native lands, the party of which Mr Ballance is the chief, were l al ways conspicuous for itheir failure. Their future administration: promises to be; no better than" the past. . .From Mr Baljance's - speech we learn that he. intends t<T introduce some \ kind of measure for^iising a portion of the Native lands, . His system, could not be worse. ; \Vhat he apparently proposes p •do' is that the Europeans -shall become tenants of the Maoris. The former will, ■yre suppose, be expected to clear and cul-. jivate the waste lands of the North Island for the benefit of the latter. When that .is done Mr Ballance; may rest assured Tthat the Maoris will be exacting landlords- ' The y: will know how to: drive hard bar.- . gains. The rentals theyiwuTdemand will leave no margin of profits for the European tenants. The effect of his policy will be to enormously- enrich the Maoris of the North IslanU' at the expense of the European population. Mr Ballance' and Ms^followers : profess to be greatly shocked at tiie idea of large "land owners, but he seems to be contemplating the creation of Maori landlords on a: large scale. He could comrniii no more fatal blunder than this. Such a poHcy would prove a curse thxfuture pf the North Island, and do inuch'to discount the career of prosperity ■which, with prudent and able government lies before it. Truly, it seems as if Mr Ballance and his colleagues cannot help bjnnderinjgi no matter what they undertake. We do not want Maori landlords. —Christchurch Telegraph.