NATIVE LAND POLICY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11542, 31 March 1898, Page 4

NATIVE LAND POLICY.

The Maoris now assembled in larga numbers at Huntley, not far from! the scene of various engagements between them ami the British forces during the Waikato campaign, will act wisely in accepting the new policy regarding their lands which the Government has enunciated to therm It is a policy for all the North Island Natives, and judging from the outline of it that is published, it will go a long way towards satisfying the demands of the most advanced philoMaori section of the CommunityMinisters proceed on the assumption that the area of land now left in the possession of the Native race is no more than sufficient to keep the Maoris in comfort ; and hence they propose to stop ail further alienation of these lands, to lease them through the agency of Land Boards for the benefit of the Natives, and to have reserves made for agricultural settlements of Maoris. A scheme of this kind, wisely developed and executed, ought to prove the racial and economic salvation of the Maoris; but there are demagogues among these people, who mislead them by urging that they ought to have complete control of their estate, and to be no longer under Government tutelage. However excellent their motives may be, these agitators are not true friends of the Maori race. Experience has proved the absolute necessity of protecting the Natives from various “land sharks” and unscrupulous tradesmen; and even under a system of leasing lands these gentry would find means of inducing the Maoris to mortgage their interest in the land and robbing them by legal process. Land Boards, composed jointly of G overnment nominees and of representatives elected by the Natives themselves, ought to form very satisfactory bodies for dealing with Maori lands and for standing between the owners and the would-be grabbers of their interest. Large numbers of Natives on the west coast of the N orth Island have for many years had their lands administered by the Public Trustee under a special Act of Parliament, and in general the utmost satisfaction has been experienced; but a section of the Taranaki natives, misled by fanatics, have engaged in a kind of passive revolt against this form of Government control, and some three score of their number are now in prison for obstructing tbe lessees of their lands. It would, we feel assured, conduce to the final extinction of disaffection, if the Huntley meeting were to give its approval to the Government scheme, which is a distinct advance in its recognition of the rights of the Maori democracy, upon the West Coast method of leasing. That the latter is recognised by intelligent Maoris to be in their interests _is proved by the fact that the Native owners of a block in the Wanganui District have just made application to have their lands placed under the jurisdiction of the Public Trustee, “With the adoption of the new policy now propounded will disappear the last vestige of “ the Native question” ; the Native Land Court, with all its abuses, delays and costs, will be swept away; and under State direction the Maoris will be encouraged to become working agriculturists, living partly upon the rents derived from the leasing of their lands to Europeans. It is to be hoped that when the Premier places the various aspects of the matter before the Maori, gathering at Huntley, his influence, added to that of Mr Carroll, will induce the meeting to give its adherence to a schema that is fraught with good to Maoris and Europeans alike._