NATIVE LAND POLICE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15186, 4 July 1911, Page 5

NATIVE LAND POLICE.

AUCKLAND CRITICISM. (JFboh Ocb Ov/n Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, July 3. The Herald takes the iton. Sir d'ames Carroll to task this morning for his speech at Invercargill. The paper «ays>—"lu spite of the boastfulnes3 of Ministers, there is, we fancy, an uneasy feelihg growing up in the Cabinet itself that the Uovernment is upon it 3 trial, and that the verdict of the country can no longer be anticipated without misgivings. Such speeches as that of the Acting Prime Minister are net likely to improve its prospects. If there is ono thing more than another in which the Government haa hopelessly failed, it is in connection with the Kstllemeht of the Crown lands of the Dominion and tho opening up of the Native lands. This is the blackest blot on the administration of the Government, ■ Ml wfiicii Sir Jas. Carroll and Mr Ngata have becomo tho leading lights and interested champions. No one not wholly obsessed by tile bigotry and passion of party can be bliim to the evil results, which it has produced, and which it is still producing. Yet it is this policy of' sheer stupidity and folly that Sir James Carroll glorifies and defends as cbnstitut-' ing apparently the chief claim of the Go-; vernment to the cOniinhed support and confidence of the European electors. The figures which be quotes relative to Native, lands, and with which he jngglee like a political Nikola, are meaningless and worthless. All who have eyes to eee know, that they do not oqiiate With hard and indisputable facts.'! MR MASSE if INTERVIEWED. . l\sked if he had anything to say in reply to Sir James Carroll's .speech at Invercargill, Mr W. F. Massey, M.P., Leader-of the Opposition, iaid that "as Sir James Car'rc-li was at all events tern- , porarlly.the head of tho great Liberal party, ho was entitled to a reply, and would get it in every detail and on every point, but he (.Mr Aias&ey) would use the platform for the purpose. ■ As Sir. James Carroll, however, had challenged the accuracy of his figures, he would say tbit the figures he quoted were from an official document-, Parliamentary Paper G3, 1909, and that Was the last return of the details of Native land transactions available to members of the public. The parliamentary pap«r referred to showed the area of Native landa held by Maoris as at December 21, 1903, to, be 7/01,825 acres;, lands leased by Maori owners, 2,560,958 acres;, lands leased qin behalf of owners, 486,140 acres; lands ih Maori occupation. 360,000 acres;—making, in all 3,407,098 acres, and. leaving 4,U94,727 afireS aa at September 30, 1909." "No doubt)" said Mr. Maesey, "the cystem oi Maori'.landlordism had been esUmdcd.sirice the date mentioned by certain blocks being leased to Eurbpeail settlers." Mr Massey added he was pleased the Acting Prime Minister, by recent speeches, had materially assisted in calling attention to one of the greatest evild this ediitttry has to deal Willi, and which, ho thought, accounted for. the; very serious state bi affairs disclosed in the same copy of the Herald with regard to arrivals and departures. The departures for the first feii months of tho present-year from-the port of Auckland alone exceeded tho arrivals by 2775. It was a coincidence, said Mr Maesey in conclusion, but in the same pdp'ofih Which' Sir James Carroll's speech appeared there was a complaint from the Northern Land League, in which, they eaid: "Now*, as heretofore, you ittay took to the four poihtc_of tKe compass iii Hbkiahga, and yo'U will seo the' «ame Stretches of busli land owned and uhoecupied by the Native, who still lives in the bame poverty, receiving old-age pensions arid' charitable aid. while- his land fosters noxious weads and remains the. home of tho wild pig. Neither European nor Native could obtain full prosperity, nor. could we add;,tbat enormous quota of wealth to the coffers of the Dominion which We were justified iii believing would result from the settlement of Native lands until this taihoa' policy ie nwept away." "There wae the settlers' side of the question," said Mr ( Massey. " Sir James Carroll had put the Government side. He left the public to judge as to which was the better for the country. 1, •■'•;'..'.