THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1888.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9022, 7 April 1888, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1888.

In Tuesday's impression we stated the position that the country is in with reference to the subject of Native lands. To summarise it again briefly, it is this : By the Administration Act of 1886 Mr. Ballance set up a quite new method of dealing with native lands. That consisted of the institution of a series of Native committees, who were to manage the lands, and who were to say which lands were to be sold. Then these lands were to be handed over to the Government, who were to deal with them and sell them as waste lands. The system of working can scarcely be said to have had a trial, as the natives have declined to assume the functions allotted to them, and are determined that they will rather allow their lands to lie unused than hand them over to the Government to be dealt with. The natives are now clamouring to be allowed to act in respect of their own lands. Some change must be made if the settlement of the North Island is to make any progress. There are also other reasons which make a change imperative. We have made, or are making, a railway through fifty miles of country of which we do not own an acre, and if no change is made in the present law we shall not own any of it for no one knoAvs how long. ' We do not suppose that the members of the late Ministry meant to tie up all native lands, and absolutely to prevent any progress in settlement, but that has been the result, and we do not see how even they can insist upon tilings continuing as they are.

The general nature of the alteration to be made is obvious from the above statement of the position. The new legislation must remove the disabilities which at present exist, and allow the sale of native lands under the precautions which experience has proved to be necessary. We have received some information as to the new measures proposed by the Government in next session, and that leads us to the conclusion that Ministers are travelling on the right lines. There will be several measures. The first step is to repeal the Administration Act, and no one surely can object to that, seeing that the Act has proved totally inoperative. Another measure in effect provides that any native having title to land may, subject to certain formalities prescribed by law, alienate the same. One provision of this Bill enacts that where a block is owne'g'by more than twenty persons, it shall only be allowed to be leased. If the natives want to sell they must partition down till they come to twenty, or to any number thereabout which may be fixed. It is found -that where there are several hundred owners enormous delay occurs, and great waste. Besides, this limitation of numbers will have the effect of encouraging purchases of smaller blocks, and will diminish the trouble and expense of getting conveyances. But large blocks may be sold where the relative shares of the owners have been defined by the Native Lands Court. It is proposed, also, to re-enact the provisions of the Native Land Frauds Prevention Act of 1883, prohibiting dealings in land before it has passed through the Court. It is also made imperative on the Frauds Commissioner not to give his certificate unless the native selling has ample means left for his maintenance.

The above is an outline of what is proposed to be done, and we believe that it will be satisfactory to the House. We cannot conceive that any party will profess to desire to maintain things as they are. At present all dealings in native lands are at a stand. The Maoris are certainly not desirous that the embargo should remain on their lands. There is now no King Country. For years the Ngatimaniapoto, who are the principal owners of the land beyond Te Awamutu, were hampered by the presence of Tawhiao and his Waikato followers, who kept up a shadow of Kingism. All that is now gone, and the Ngatimaniapoto are desirous o£ selling the great areas of surplus lands which lie in the valley of the Waipa, and through which we have made a railway. These Bills provide that they may do so, whereas at present they are virtually prohibited. We are quite aware that

many evils have * surrounded native land dealings in the past, and that these have excited a dislike to the ■whole system on the part of many throughout the whole country. < This dislike has been strongly manifested in the South, where it seems to be thought that everyone in the North is concerned in schemes of making money by dealing in native land. What was true and real in this belief has, we are convinced, now been in great part obviated by change of circumstances, and will be further guarded against by clauses in the new Bills. But some provision must be made *by which the fertile lands along the line of railway shall pass into the hands of those who will improve them, and make them useful to the colony.