THE LAND FIGHT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6996, 9 December 1909, Page 8

THE LAND FIGHT

ANOTHER PHASE OF THE PROBLEM. i EUROPEANS AXD NATIVE LEASES. The right of European lessees to obtain the fee simple of the native land was a question which caused quite a long discussion in the House yesterday afternoon on the receipt of a report from the Native Affairs Committee on a petition from Greymouth business people, who desired to be enabled to secure the freehold of land they at present lease from the Maori owners. In the petition it was asserted that the land, a native reserve of 500 acres, practically comprised the whole of the business portion of the town, and also that, while its value had been enormously increased by the harbour works and borough improvements, the natives had contributed nothing at all in ■ the way of rates. The report of the committee was that the petition should be referred to the Government with a recommendation that the Government should purchase the reserve if the native owners are willing, and that the land so purchased be offered on the freehold system to the present occupiers. A PROFITABLE CROWN PURCHASE. The position taken up by the native owners was stated at some length by the Hon. A. T. Ngata, the representative of tho Eastern Maoris. He also gave the history of the reserve. Fifty years ago, he said, the Crown purchased seven million acres of land which lay along the West Coast, from Karamea down to the Sounds. The price paid was •£3OO. In the deed of purchase it was expressly stipulated that oertain areas, among them being the Greymouth reserve, should be absolutely reserved to the natives and tneir descendants for ever. At the time there were not many beneficiaries, but by process of succession the number had considerably increased. Two or three owned nearly half of the land between them, ono owned one-fifth, while, on the other hand, another only owned one-hundredth part. From one cause and another the land had been vested in the Public Trustee, who had administered it for upwards of thirty years. . The land was not worth much at the time, of the original purchase, but had now acquired a considerable value by reason of the developments which had occurred in the district. In 1874 the rents re'ceived totalled .£3697, while this year they had actually dropped to ,£3264. The average rental during the last thirty years had been .£3461, which he thought sufficiently met the allegation of the petitioners that in consequence of harbour works, borough improvements, etc., the natives were deriving a- revenue from the land out of all proportion to. their interests. The position simply was that the natives had been waiting.for twentyone years till the leases ran out in the hope of securing a large increase in rental, and that if the : proposal were agreed to they would be denied that to which they considered they had a night. The Maoris were unanimous in their decision not to sell, and asked > that at least the Government would give them a chance to make their voice heard before any arrangement, were made. Mr Ngata added that his objection to the report of the committee was that it recommended the Government to purchase the reserve and afterwards to give the freehold to the present owners. That had .never been suggested to the committee at all. The only suggestion was that if there were to be any treaty with the beneficiaries it should- be. between them as represented by the borough of Greymouth and the Public Trustee. If the committee had left it at that be would have been content, but as it wa6 the recommendation Went altogether too far beyond what the position demanded. A DRAWBACK TO GREYMOUTH. The matter was discussed by a number of speakers, among whom was the the Hon. 11. McKenzie. He said that the native reserve had always been a drawback to the borough of Greymouth, and thought that if some such arrangement as indicated could be made it would be better all round. 'However, other native reserves were in the" same position, and he thought that all should be.dealt with in one special Act, the natives being empowered to sell the whole or part of their reserves in a fair and equitable manner. Mt T. Parata (Southern Maori) on behalf of the owners, strongly opposed the report. He said that the natives wished to retain possession of the reserve, which-was all the land they' had left, for all time. They were strongly opposed to any attempt • to take .it from them. As an amendment he. moved that the petition he referred to the Government for inquiry. The amendment was seconded by Mr D. McLaren (Wellington East),',. who, with other leaseholders strongly condemned the committee's proposal, Mr Ell suggesting that it would not he made if the land belonged to Europeans. NATIVE RIGHTS ASSAILED. .'

The Hon. D. Buddo said that Parliament ought not to take a hand in any proposal which suggested inferentially that a native had no right to hold town properties. There had never before been so distinct a:.proposal in the House to, so x'lainly distinguish between native and European rights. The question of municipal control was entirely in the hands of the occupiers. He looked on the proposal with a considerable amount of suspicion. A number of the native owners lived near Kaiapbi, and he knew that they were taking up many of their leases for farming purposes. Though the tenure at Greymouth was only twenty-one years it must be recognised that they had derived substantial pecuniary benefit. It would doubtless be desirable to have an inquiry into ' the position. •Mr H. J.Greensiade(VVaikato) suggested that if several of the native townships in the King Country had been bought-years ago by the, Government it would have been very much better for the people who lived there.

ME TAYLOR TALKS OF THIEVING. "Some sections of the population are rabidly developing the instinct of -political thieves," declared Mr T. E. Taylor (Christchurch North). He went -on to susreest that the proposal before the House wasto steal a very valuable property from the native owners, . and it would never have been made if it had not been engendered by the spirit of the campaign carried on by the Onposition and the freehold section of the Government jsaxtr.. Nothing would save the Maori racebut the taxins of the land they held, so -that they would be obliged to beneficially occupy' it. The Europeans had been exceedingly well treated by the .-owners of the Greymonth native reserve.

The. Hon. James Carroll (Native Minister) reminded the House that the reserve had been, set aside for the natives for eveov and this solemn oromise had not lost its force with the la-Dse of time. The amendment to delete the words " and that the land so purchased, be offered on the freehold svstem ■to the present oocumiere" was neeatived on the voices. As the adiournmnt hour had arrived the resolution could not be Tint to the House, but it will come up for consideration toxlay.