MAORI LANDS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 306, 24 November 1932, Page 3

MAORI LANDS

AND UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. The Maori population, including halfcastes, is 68,000; of which 65,000 are in the North Island; 49,000 of these are in the Auckland provincial district, mostly in the North Auckland and East Coast areas. It is officially estimated that the male Maoris between the ages of 20 and 64 years number 15,000; at the end of October, 1932, the number contributing to the Unemployment Fund was 8000. The Unemployment Board is now paying relief to Maoris at the rate of £166,000 a year, or over £3OOO a weelc. During the months of August and September, 1932, £27,684 was paid to 3200 Maoris. Personal observation and investigation in the field have impressed upon me (says the deputy-chairman of the board, Mr J. S. Jessep), the growth of a serious problem in respect of Maoris and of the need for its urgent consideration. Forty years ago, the Maoris were becoming settled down after the Maori Wars, and were ns yet not fully accustomed to the European mode of living. They had in the past owned and worked their lands in common. They were used to the communal system, under the control of their chiefs. During the past forty years, the country was in active process of development. Hundreds of thousands of acres required clearing of bush, grassing and fencing, and extensive public works were in progress. Maoris found, ready to their hand, ample work of a kind that suited them, and, incidentally, they played a material part in making possible the settlement and development of large areas of the country now highly productive in the occupation of Europeans. Meantime, the native lands remained idle and undeveloped under common ownership. That phase of the country’s history is now definitely closed. The great bulk of the land has been cleared and settled. With the coming of economic depression, the work which the Maoris have grown accustomed to depend upon has ceased. They have returned their attention back to their land, still largely held in common ownership. In mini-

bers of cases individuals have attempted to farm areas; but the other joint owners have too frequently taken advantage of the individual’s industry, rendering it useless for him to continue. He has then turned to unemployment relief work.

The older chiefs, still imbued with tradition and pride of race, view with disquiet the complacent acceptance of relief. But the younger generation of natives have not had to depend on their lands for livelihood, and consequently have not been educated to the communal system of their ancestors, nor are they to the same degree as in the past subject to the authority of their chiefs. They not unnaturally take the same view as the European of unemployment relief and regard themselves as equally entitled to participate. The undesirable situation which has arisen is well exemplified at one small centre in the North Auckland district. At this place, Maoris constitute 60 per cent, of the registered unemployed, and there are 104 of them under schemes 4a and 6. Of these 104 Maoris who are receiving relief, 69 have interest in property which has not been individualised. The amount of money which has been paid from the Unemployment Fund to Maoris in this small place already totals nearly £6000.' Unquestionably, progress has been made with the consolidation and individualisation of native land interests, but the process is far too slow, having in mind the crisis which is at hand. It is extremely unfortunate, also, that opposition to individualisation is definitely apparent from sections of the Maon race. Where the opposition of such sections is strong, individualisation has been definitely retarded. In other places, free from such retarding influences, the settlement of Maoris on individualised holdings is going on quite satisfactorily, with consequent relief to the Unemployment Fund and benefit to themselves. The majority of the Maoris are anxious for the settlement of their land problem; and it would seem apparent that special pressure must be brought to bear to prevent the process being hampered. One hundred per cent, success cannot be hoped for at once. As is the case with Europeans, numbers of Maoris may not prove successful settlers. The rate of progress at which tho changeover has been proceeding must be accelerated. Apart from the interests of the Maoris themselves, failure to carry through tho individualisation of their lands means that the State will have to continue providing large sums of money for distribution as unemployment" relief among people who would be infinitely better off if given the opportunity of working the land they own.

The solution of this problem has a distinct bearing on the fuller development of European land. It is impossible for many counties to carry on whilst a large proportion of their areas are practically unratcable owing to the difficulties of collecting rates levied on unindividualised land. The burden on the land in active occupation is too great. The Maoris participate in our free system of education. They enjoy full use of the roading system, and share all the other advantages at the disposal of pakeha citizens. Their renowned superiority as a native race fully entitles them to do so; but all these things impose heavy charges on the community as a whole, and the system under which the bulk of the Maoris’ land is still held does not permit of their taking their rightful share of the burden.

The need for individualisation of native lands is imperative. There is no alternative. The process must be brought to speedy completion. The country is at. the parting of the ways so far as the Maori race is concerned. Unless the Maoris are assisted, and assisted promptly, to take their place as individual settlers, side by side with European farmers, they will ho unable to keep pace with the country’s; progress, and the next decade may witness a deterioration of which the necessity of their widespread acceptance of relief is to-day’s warning.