NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13386, 12 September 1905, Page 5

NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

STATEMENT BY TIIB PREMIER. HOPEFUL OF TAKING A "BIG STEP." (Fsoit ODR Om CORRESFOJiDENT.) \ WELLINGTON, September 11. Somo remarks in • conncction with ■■ tlio Nativo:.laud question wero mado. by the Premier to-day -in reply to a Lovin. deputation wliioli waited upon him in connection with a block of Native land in 'their j district. i ; ;':. : -x.;s The Premier, 6aid that tho time'was fast approaching when the question of -'settling tho Nativo lands must bo 4 taken in Hand. They wero told in tho case iii question that if tho restrictions wore 1 removed if would be for the good of tho district, bnt as soon as they threatened to open lands somo individual who was behind the scenes mopped up the lot. Tho first desideratum; was to got-,tho Natives themselves (who' wero naturally conservative eo far as their ■ lands wero concerned) to recognise that thero must bo a change from tho present condition of affairs.Altogether tho Nativo land _ question.was.in. a v very unsatisfactory position. i\n attempt had been raado to solvo tho difficulty by setting up the .Maori Land Councils, and he believed that theso councils would bv ablo to do something to solve the .difficulty if they wero given time and confidence wcro restored amongst tho Natives sufficiently to induce them to hand over their lands to the councils, with pewer to develop them by (easing them at a fair rental. • They must carry the Natives with thorn if thoy woro to arrive at a successful solution of tho difficulty. . It was not so very long sinco they had had bloodshed, and tho turning off of surveyors in conncction with their Nativo lands. The Europeans, however, were now getting very impatient owing to settlement being retarded by tho locking up of tho Nativo lands. Ho was hopeful that bqforo , the session ended tho Government would bo ablo to mako a very big step towards settling tho Nativo land question. .Ho referred to a block of Native land in the. Auckland district, and said that in. connection with this thero wcro a number of Europeans—ha could put his hands upon them—who woro making secret arrangements with the Natives. This was a difficulty they would bo confronted with. If the Native lands wero thrown open to-morrow somo of theso peoplo, he said, stood to make from £5000 to £10,000 oacli. Certain people who had got hold of certain lands by illegal agreements, and had been making thousands out of them, wished to keep things as they were. If they tried to do anything to .upset their wrongdoing, theso people were to tho fore. They wcro largely represented in tho Houso in opposing ut. Somo of theso days, however, ho thought tho Government would bo able to successfully grapplo with the difficulty in a way that would benefit tho Natives'and tho colony generally. As tho deputation had pointed out, tho Natives wero receiving somo £400 from a block of land at Levin which ought, to yield them £2000. Ho would nilk tho Native "Minister tc inquire into this matter. Tho appointment of a couple of capable men to go through tho country to settle tho_ titles to th-es© lands ■would be a step ill tne direction. At tho present time Natives'who owned" largo and valuable areas of land, and who ought to bo in a condition of independence, wero living in a state of misery. The first step, ho said in conclusion, was to ascertain what was ljest suited to the interests of tho Natives themselves, and then to tako tho question in hand in a practical manner.

(Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE. September 11. Mr J. A. Hardin? is at Tolaga Bay to-day in 1 connection with tho East Const Trust TViard lands- T" 10 beneficiaries of the Maneahera block aro said to bo very pleased, anjl thera is a hopo t.h© Natives will lmlid ovor other blocks to tho board to administer. Tlicro is a prospcct of.tho Government. tal<ing over'an area of land in tho Tola.gß district for closer settlement and dairying pursuits.