LESSON FROM THE PAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17965, 15 December 1921, Page 8

LESSON FROM THE PAST.

PLEA Fpß; THE UREWERA. METHOD OF SETTLEMENT. AXE AND FIRE OR FOREST? [by telegraph.—sjkcial reporter.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Appended to the report on tho Urewera lands consolidation scheme presented to Parliament to-day is a memorandum by the Hon. A. T. Ngata addressed to the Native Minister'. After expressing his concurrence with the terms of the report, Mr. Ngata submits a series of recommendations. He says the execution of the scheme should not be left to the ordinary machinery of the Courts and departments. He urges that speoial officers of the Native and Landr, Departments should be entrusted with the work, and that associated with them should be a surveyor acquainted with the handling of the location of disputed native sections and endowed with the tact necessary to successful dealing with natives. He suggests also that the exploration and definition of native areas should proceed along with that of Crown' awards. It would be a breach of the spirit of the negotiations if the Crown were to complete its own titles first and leave the native claims in the air. Mr. Ngata*says, further: "The concluding part of the report dealing with utilisation by the Ureweras of the lands remaining to them cannot be too strongly emphasised. Igo further than the officers in urging that the State should inaugurate in this district a special scheme for rendering financial and other assistance to the young Urewera farmers." Business Guidance Needed. " The human material i 6 good. The men are good bushmen, efficient in all that relates to work in bush country. They require rot only financial assistance, but, above all, business assistance. It would not be sufficient, in fact it would be risky, .merely to lend them money on the security <of their lands. There must be business guidance as well, to see that the money is applied to the best use to secure the best returns.

" Tho report is necessarily silent as to any policy for dealing with the areas awarded or to be awarded to the Grown under the scheme. I may, in this com nection, direct your attention to the history of the Waimarino Block, which was purchased by the Ballahce Government/in 1886.' In the purchase of a large compact forest area in the shortest possible time it stands as a record. In some respect* it affords a parallel to the tJrewera Country. Waimarino waa over 600,000 acres in extent, situated in the interior; surrounded on all sides, but at a distance, by a fringe of cultivated lands. It was not penetrated by arterial ways except the Wanganui River. It was unexplored territory. The country had then no forest policy. The Waimarino area was nibbled at from all sides. It was the hinterland of two land districts, the hinterland of many county ' councils-* kind of no-man's-land. The demands of settlement forced it and its magnificent timber 'resources piecemeal into the market. It was not until the completion of the Main Trunk Railway, in 1908, £2 years after the purchase, that the country realised what a magnificent forest asset it had had and had- lost. , ,

Talent aid Experience. ". History jepeatß itself in some re* specta in the Urewera Country. Once more the fate of.' a territory of over ;600,000 acres of forest land, also hinter* land on the edge of two land districts and of two Native Land Court districts, the converging point of possibly four county council are»s, is ah the hands of the Government to make or max. Is it to be left toithe nibbling processj to the varying claims of contending jurisdictions,'' to,a gradual evolution pioneered by axe ; and Ire, or shall,we luave now an fllustratioh on & grand scale of what is meant by a comprehensive scheme of land settlement? Wo have, or are about to have, a properly equipped Forestry Department with its schemes for demarcation, reservation, and so forth. We have the' dearly-bought experience of Bay of Plenty farmers in handling bußh. farms in that district We have on the East Coast the example of what Maoris can do with their lands if intelligently assisted, financed, and. organised. We should be able to benofjt by a combination of 6ucb talent and experience in the. handling of the last important land problem Of the North Island." ...,.,