NATIVE LAND POLICY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1911, Page 7

NATIVE LAND POLICY.

GOVERNMENT EULOGISED. [BT TELEQEAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] . GISBORNE, Doc. 1. Sir James Carroll 'addressed a .‘tout 1200 people in Hia Majesty’s Theatre this evening. In regard to Native Lands he referred to the legislation introduced by the Government to deal with this question and said that the Opposition advocated individualisation but this was impossible in many cates, and they had been provided for in the corporation policy to deal in land, while Native Land Courts were individualising the lands daily and it could not be said that the Opposition w< re in inaugurating a new policy in that of individualisation. The Opposition with 1 the exception of Mr. W. 11. Herries, he said, did not understand the Native Land Acts. Sir James predicted that within three, or less than four years there would be no Native land settlement question. To-day there veie over four million acres of Maori land under profitable occupation, and paying taxes and 3,000,000 acres left unallotted, but only about one million of waste native land. Of the three millions referred to the greater ■■'proportion was unsuited for occupation and üben be wont over the Native land question it did not seem such a bugbear as the Opposition represented. Furthermore, the policy was being pushed on, ami last year 345,000 acres were brought into profitable occupation, and he Hoped to put in a good record next year. He defended the Government’s torrowing policy and showed how, although Sir Joseph Ward’s administration was responsible for adding ever £18,000,000 to the debt of the Dominion during the past five years, over £15,000,000 was reproductive, and assisted in settlement. He defended the Dreadnought gift and said when it came up for ratification, hot one of the Opposition members had objected to it. Their humanitarian legislation, ho said, was of the foremost in the world, and the Liberal Government was trying to ameliorate the conditions of all classes so as to even up the whole and have a wise administration felt all round. •The Hon. A. T. Ngata, who was present, thanked the people for the confidence placed in him.