The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1912. THE WEST COAST RESERVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 12 July 1912, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1912. THE WEST COAST RESERVES.

The West Coast Reserves Commissie'n, which began to take evidezice a, Hawera on the 10th ©f May, has had its report presented to Parliament within two months of the date of its first meeting. la view of the number of witnesses which gave evidence, the long, historical and argumentative statements made by counsel engaged for the parties, and the many facts and circumstances which had to be critically considered by the Commissioners, they have done the work entrusted to them with commendable celerity. What they had to do was to enquire into matters —past, present and prospective—connected with the settlement (by European tenants) of the reserves made many years ago on this coast in the interest of certain of the Maori race, and— (1) On what terms and conditions the said lessees or any of them should be permitted to surrender their present leases and obtain new leases in lieu thereof under section 8 of the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892. (2) Whether any of the said lessees have been misled by any act of the Public Trustee or any other ofiicer of the Public Trust Department, or the form of the lease issued, or the regulations made under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, or its amendments, into believing that there was no limit to the amount of compensation to which they were entitled under their leases, and in consequence of such belief made on thei leaseholds or purchased from othelessees improvements -in excess ofive pounds (£5) pe,r acre. (3) What areas of land now leaser under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, and its amend-, ments, may hereafter be required by the native owners for their use and occupation; and, having regard to their particular interests therein

and their individual fitness fer profitably using such lands, which of the said leases, if any, should be allowed to remain under the present tenure in order thai; such native owners may, on the expiration of such leases, compete for the possession, of the lands held under them.

(4) What provisions should be made to enable such native owners tc get financial assistance from the Government te enable them to work their farms, should any of them become tenants of such leaseholds.

The replies of the Commissioners are as plain _as the sun at noonday, in the first "instance, they are of opinion that none of the lessees should be allowed to surrender their leases; secondly, they state that not a single witness on behalf of the lessees was able to convince them that he had been misled; thirdly, they are of opinion that all the areas of land now leased under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, and its amendments, may hereafter be required by the native owners for their use and occupation, and that, therefore, all the lands now held under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1881, or its amendments, should remain under the present tenure; and, fourthly, thev suggest that the Public Trustee, under section 18 of the Maori Land Laws Amendment Act, 1908, may advance money to enable the native owners to work their farms. Hence every finding of the Commissioners is against tne specific aims of the European lessees and in favor of the native owners, with a view to their becoming personally the occupiers and cultivators of the reserves. This is, in effect, to submit the whole case to Parliament, with an unqualified recommendation that it should deal with it in one specified way. Parliament, however, will have to consider more than the abstract rights which are involved in the matter. The Massey Government is not likely to lend itself to a course contrary to that which Mr Massey himself has been in the habit of suggesting when he has spoken in favor of "legislation having for its ultimate aim the placing of the natives in the same position as the Europeans, with the same privileges and responsibilities." Still, hitherto the prevailing opinion has been that Parliament should act the part of a trustee bound to see that the reserves are cultivated to the best advantage as so much land, and in the interest of the natives as beneficiaries through the receipt of the best rents obtainable, not as being themselves, personally, the occupiers or cultivators. This view was very strongly put by Dr Fitchett, the Public Trustee, in the statement which he made to the Commissioners at Hawera on the 24th of May. "All the facts must be looked clearly in the face," he said; and "the question is whether the native can get on this land, and, it so, can he work it profitably? He can only get on it in the beaten"way of purchase—by outbidding the European. The present lessee has a right bv contract that no Parliament could "for a moment think of breaking. The abstract right to bid is futile unless the means to bid effectually are given. The only natives who can outbid the pakeha in any specific lease are those who are entitled to the rent of that lease, for with them the rent will be merely a cross entry. The number is very small. In every other case the native must have the money to pay the rent he bid's. Moreover, m every case the outgoing lessee must be paid £5 an acre for his improvements. I think it is common ground that there is no lease under which the improvements to-dav do not reach at least £5. And that is not all; they must also have funds to work the land, to provide plant, herds and so forth. Last, but not least, they must have the industry, energy and" skill to maintain the land in "its present high state of cultivation. Failing this, disaster must follow." To some extent the Commissioners indicate a way out m this connection by suggesting" that the Public Trust Office might give financial assistance to the Maori owner; but other considerations raised by Dr Fitchett remain to be weighed "with the utmost gravity, even in the permanent interest of the native owners themselves.