THE NATIVE LANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13782, 22 June 1908, Page 6

THE NATIVE LANDS.

QUESTION OF SETTLEMENT. AN ANOMALOUS POSITION. Durlvg his recent tour of the King Country the Prime Minister was, perhaps, more impressed by the great difficulty that confronts the Government in its effort to settle the native land trouble than by anything else. At nearly every town visited the same story was "told by large deputation's about the impossibility of obtaining land that is native owned, and he was besought to try and open up some of these locked areas." As be told the Herald representative who was through the country with him, the matter would require to be dealt with, and he was satisfied that it could be accomplished without doing an injustice to the natives, while relieving European residents from what was becoming; in some instances, an' intolerable nuisance.. The most anomalous state of affairs in this connection is to be found at Kawhia, but owing to Sir Joseph Ward's unavoidably late arrival at the little seaport on the west coast the large deputation that had been arranged to bring the matter under his notice were unable to do so. The Kawhia Harbour is about 33 miles round from head to head, and the whole of a wide belt of varying depth round the coast-line is native land of fine quality. The natives do not use it, and the white men cannot. The native land is the pick of the district. The Moerangi, Tauinatotara, and Taharo blocks contain respectively 45.000, 11,500, and 16,000 acres of native land, and the total area of native land in the Kawhia County alone amounts to over 100,000 acres. All this is practically lying useless, and it is almost impossible for a white settler to get a legal title to a block. The land available for settlement lies away from the coast, and to reach it from the harbour the aforesaid belt of native land, between five and six miles in width, and exceedingly rough country, has to be traversed. The white settlers have had to pay rates for the making and upkeep of the one road through, and it speaks well for the indomitable pluck and perseverance of the New Zealand pioneer that he has attempted the task of wresting a living from primeval nature's stronghold when he has to first overcome these disheartening obstacles. If he could get on to the splendid land round the coast, where his produce could ba easily conveyed to the waterway, there seems little reason to doubt that Kawhia would soon become one of the most flourishing producing centres of the North Island. At the present time it is simply stagnating for the reason stated. If the land were thrown open for settlement it would be eagerly snapped up, and an era of prosperity would follow in quick course. The Kawhia Harbour is one of the best on the west coast, and at ordinary high tide has 20ft of water on the bar, so there is no difficulty about- steamers getting in and out.

The Kawhia residents say that the more progressive natives of the district would be glad to lease their land if they could, and the residents are anxious that the Royal Commission for Native Lands should hold a sitting in the district at the earliest possible dale. There is an impression among the people that the Commission is not to sit at Kawhia, and if the impression is a, correct one it seems a pity. It is to be. hoped that the Government will see its way clear to send the Commission to Kawhia, in order that sometuing may be speedily done to remove the incubus that is keeping back a district that has been amply endowed by nature with every requisite for civil:, ised progress. .-,. ,-.,:.»