THE NATIVE LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13502, 29 July 1907, Page 6

THE NATIVE LANDS.

VIEWS OF THE COMMISSION. CROWN PURCHASE IN THEORY AND PRACTICE. EVILS OF THE SYSTEM. ■ - [lIY TJEUSOKAI'IT.— CORRESI'ONDENT.] -•»■• \ ■ , .Wellington, Sunday. THE' Native Land Commission, in its references to the necessity for more effectually safeguarding" the interests of the Maoris in connection with' the side of their lands, makes some .striking observations. Starting with purchases by the Crown, the Commission remarks that whilst theoretically the Crown does not buy unless the owners are willing to sell, Hie experiences of the past half century have displayed tiie following weak points in the system of Crown purchases: — 1. "That in the. absence of competition produced by restrictive legislation, and in the face of encumberances due to litigation and survey costs, circumstances are created which practically compel the .Maori people to sell at any price.'* ' '' 2. " That the individualisation of titles' to the extent of ascertaining and defining the share of each, individual owner in a tribal block owned by a ,-' large number, gives to each owner the right of bargaining with the Crown and ;selling; his interest. 'ft gives scope to secret dealing, and practically renders impossible concerted action on the part of a tribe, .or hapu, in the consideration of the fairness, or otherwise, of the price offer- . Ed, or in the consideration of the advisability of parting at all with the tribal lands'." , 3. '* That the weaknesses and improvidence of the race are directly appealed to. The sight of a Government cheque book, and the prospect of agood, time at the hotels, or on the racecourse, or of an investment in the latest motor car, are sufficient for the , majority of owners in any ~ native block to waive all consideration, and '.'.' to put their signatures to the purchase deeds." ;■■'. ."'■■; - .' The need of some provision for prevent;. .ing the wasteful expenditure of the proceeds of a sale is urged. ■ Tlui f . such a provision is necessary at the present time, says the Commission, the evidence of waste and prodigality, in connection with the recent .purchases- in Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, and the: King Country, is absolutely conclusive. • A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. ' Under the* head of the injustice of . Crown purchase* prior to 1905, reference is made to a vast estate in the Wanganui and' King Country districts, which was purchased at a pries that seemed to be inadequate., ' . \ /The nature of the native title places (insuperable difficulties in the way. No auctioneer, under such circumstances, can give satisfactory assurances. ' "It has been suggested,'' the Commission goes on to say, "that-to meet; the difficulty the lands should .be partitioned so that the ■interest of each owner is determined by survey on the ground." We are \of .opinion that even if the number of Native Land Court judges were increased twofold, even if partitions were promptly surveyed by an adequate staff of surveyors-, and the whole cost of these proceedings borne by the State, the task would be impossible of achievement within such limit of time as to satisfy the impatience of the country for the speedy settlement of the unoccupied .Maori lands. Researches have convinced us that this minute subdivision of land is not in the interests of the Maori people as a whole, and that it is in many instances unnecessary, in some merely wasteful. It is inimical to speedy settlement, and impcsible to' carry out in a. .practical and effective manner, apart altogether from . the enormous cost that would be entailed upon the land and its owners." RESERVATIONS FOR NATIVES. In referring to the question of reserves for the maintenance of the individual Maoris the Commission states that if each of the owners exercised the right of selecting and retaining up to, say, one-half of the maximum of 1000 acres of first-class land, or 2000acrcs of second-class, or 5000 acres of third-class, they know of only , three cases in the districts which they have I visited where any surplus would be" avail- | able for settlement. *, | To suggest that Maori owners should be restricted within such limits narrower than those permitted to a European would reveal a desire to ignore the Maori Rights- Act, of 1865, and to treat the Maoris not as citizens, but as pariahs. On the question whether there is anything to prevent a lessee taking up as much land as he likes under separate leases, each less than the prescribed maximum, the Commission : states that probably leaseholds may be aggregated either in the hands of a person already possessing an abundance of leaseholds or in the hands of those who own large freeholds. "It is a curious reflection, that while the colony has committed itself to a policy of close settlement iii respect of Crown lands, with limitations as to the area any one selector may hold, it has permitted and still apparently permits aggregation in native land-." The Commission believes that the principle of limitation was intended to ■ apply to native lands, and urges that this should be made clear. It does not inquire whether a graduated tax would secure the end best, but believes that if limitation is- a j proper policy, as has often been affirmed j by the Legislature, it should be directly en- ; forced. . ■""*." . i MAORI LAND BOARDS.' ] Having remarked that the policy between \ 1900-and 1*906 tended.; in the direction of ; eompulsorily vesting lauds in the Hoards lor administration, the Commission expresses the opinion that Ihe Hoards must be used much more freely and on. a, greater scale in future if large'" areas of unoccupied land are to be thrown open, for settlement. In dealing with the lands now remaining in the hands of the Maori people, the Commission considers that the settlement of the j Maoris should be the first consideration. "And it, is because we recognise the impossibility of doing so on a comprehensive scale by the ordinary method of partition and individualisation", that we recommend the intervention of a body such as the Maori Land Board, to be armed with powers sufficiently elastic to meet the exigencies 'of the situation. "We are of opinion that some of the surplus Maori land should be sold, but the purposes of any such sale should be defined. The area of good land available for disposition'in this mariner, having regard to the present necessities of the Maori people, their prospects as settlers under a proper system, and the needs of their descendants, is not as great as is generally supposed. Of inferior laud, not suitable for close settlement and fit only for forest reserves and such purposes, there is ample; but we doubt if there will be any keen demand ' I for such land." .