NATIVE AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8541, 15 April 1891, Page 5

NATIVE AFFAIRS.

PROSPECTING IN THE UREWERA COUNTRY. MR. CADMAN'S VIEWS. A BATCH OF MAORI GRIEVANCES. RETRENCHMENT IN THE NATIVE OFFICE. [BY TEI.KQRAI , H.~-OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington - , Tuesday. In* an interview with the Hon. Mr. Cadman this afternoon I learned that lie had seen a telegram to the effect that a party of prospectors had set out, or intended to sot out, for the Ureweta Country. Ho said :— "I was certainly much surprised at this Diece of intelligence. I may state that I nave not given permission, and I do not intend to give permission to any person or persons to prospect in the Urewera country until such time as the country shall be formally opened. I found the Urewera people very friendly. They are as fine a body of natives as there is in the colony. I feel a certain hope that, they may be induce., to open their country to European enterprise if they are properly treated, but they will nob bo likely to open their lands if prospectors should persist in the annoyance of trespass on their territory in search of gold. The effect of subjecting the natives to this kind of intrusion can only be to. delay the date when everybody may visit their lands with their entire assent. The difficulties connected with this matter will be increased if there is any attempt to force the hand of tho Government and cause suspicion among the natives. If there is gold in that country, ib should be recollected that the land is the property of the natives, and" they will have to bo dealt with before their land can be used for any purpose whatever. If there is payable gold there, some such plan will have to be thought of as that upon which tho Thames country was thrown open for mining. The result of these premature attempts can only be to cause the natives to make conditions that would be practically prohibitive. The mistakes that were committed in connection with the opening of the Thames country must be avoided. There is no certainty there is payable gold to any extent in the Urewera country, and the effect or persistence in prospecting would be to run up the price of minors' rights, of timber, and native concessions of every kind to a price that could not be paid. That" result would be a great injury to natives and Europeans alike. I therefore hope these attempts, if they be seriously intended, will cease. At all events, in the interest of the mining industry of the colony, no permission for prospecting in the Urewera will be given with my consent. I have very strong hopes indeed that through the friendliness of these people I may be able to open tho country, but this obtrusive prospecting can only defeat that object. The suggestion by one of the newlyelected members of tho House, that the Government should tako over the native lands of, the colony and issue debentures for them to the native owners, has aroused a good deal of opposition among native owners. They are preparing petitions to Parliament against this and other proposals. The burthen of these petitions is that they have no confidence either in Government debentures or Government management. Tho Government have undertaken to bring in a Bill next session in respect of tho arbitration leases on the West Coast. They propose to cancel the clauses in tho arbitration awards which give compensation and rights of perpetual renewals to leases ; in other respects, they will follow the recommendation made by the Joint Commission of last session, providing for a new lease of 30 years. lam informed that two special cases will be brought before the forthcoming Court of Appeal, in which the native owners expect to set certain other awards made by the Arbit ration Court revoked and set aside. Theobjectof th is proceeding is to strengthen the native owners, by showing both Houses of the Legislature that in the opinion of the Court the whole of the awams made by the Arbitration Court were illegal. The Bill which the Government have in view is to be met by a Bill to be introduced by' Honi Taipua, prepared by Mr. John Sinclair (formerly of Auckland), one of the solicitors for the natives, which provides for a lease from the native owners for a term of fifteen years, with the right of renewal for a second term of fifteen years (comprising a compensation clause), the land so leased to revert then to the native owners if they think proper to take possession of it. There is a clause that where the number of native owners does not exceed twenty they shall have uncontrolled management of the land, but where the number of natives exceeds twenty they may elect a committee of management. There are other Maori grievances to be ventilated, some of them of rather ancient date. One of them is what is known as the " Wellington 10 per cents." It appears that when the Wellington land was handed over by the New Zealaifd Company to the Government the latter promised to discharge certain contracts entered into with the natives by paying 10 per cent. Although several Commissions have been appointed to inquire into this matter the natives say the money lias never been paid. Then there is a grievance known as the Waitara land (Okarana and Ngaterahiri blocks), which the Maoris say the Government have never paid, for the allegations are that the Otara3 and Ngatihirihiris were serving with Captain Good as special constables, and while they were away the Government took possession of their lands, pub a military settlement on it, but never paid for the land. Another native grievance is advanced by the Ngatikahunas, who will petition Parliament for a Royal Commission to inquire why certain trusts to be- reserved for native schools out of purchases made by the Government have not reverted to the natives. There is a further claim to certain trusts for native schools which have become vested in tho Church of England, and application is to be made to the Court of Appeal to set aside the deed. The. natives have sent in many complaints, both to the Native Office and to the Public Trustee's Office. They have petitioned against the maintenance of particular officers in both departments. It is said that at least three officials of long standing in the Native Office will retire, and others in the Public Trust Office who have to do with the administration of native reserves.