MAORI LANDS ADMINISTRATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10138, 26 August 1904, Page 4

MAORI LANDS ADMINISTRATION.

. « . ATTACK ON THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. AN INTERESTING DEBATE. A lengthy discussion nroso m the House of Representatives last week on the question of tlie administration of native lands. Mr Massey introduced the matter. Tlie Leader of the Opposition took to protesting against the annual expenditure of £3000 for a result which was absolutely nil. He recognised that there were difficulties, the chief of which was tlie communistic system under which tlie natives held their- lands. Mr Massey went on to say that the progress of the North was retarded by the locking-up of large areas of native, lands. Through existing legislation the position of tlie natives was very unsatisfactory and was. m fact, worse than five years ago. He moved to reduce tlie vote of £2989 for Maori land administration by £1 as an indication tluit the Maori land administration was not satisfactory. Mr Taylor urged that native lands should be brought under tlie same conditions- as lands purchased for closer settlement. Ho considered that the way m which Maori lands were pawned and mortgaged m large blocks was wrong. Mr A. L. D. Fraser said the Maori Lands Administration Act liad been m existence for four years, and! it was now worse than useless. It liad become dangerous. It had' tied up hundreds of thousands of acres of native lands, and was cumbersome m the extreme. It was opposed to the wishes of the natives and one of tlie gravest- objections was that when once tlie land was handed over to. the Councils it was gone for ever, there being no provision for ifc at any time reverting to its original owners. The exjK'iiditure on the Councils had been a sinful waste of money. Speaking on the Ohutu block m the Wanganui district, he said that one block only, of 1500 acres, liad been disposed of out of 70,000 acres, .and the European who took this up hadi been offered £30,000 for the timber on it, and yet the wretched Council liad leased the timber and land for Is 6d an aore. Mr Kirkbride said the Government would have done more good to encourage the individualisation of titles instead of encouraging tho communal system. Mr Moss said thut no intelligent farmer was satisfied! with the title he could get from tho Maori Council, 4 a 21 years' lease with revaluation. For tluit reason alone the Councils had proved a failure. Moreover, the native owners of land neither liked nor trusted the Councils. Mr Remington and Mr Hogg, botli .strong supporters of the Government, condemned the nresemV native laud policy. Mr A. L. D. Fraser said tliat it was very evident to the Government that the natives would have none of. their policy, and it. was suggested iv the Budget that it was intended lo place these lands into the hands of the Council at tlie point of the bayonet. If such legislation were brought down he for one would have something to say about it, but if -there was one drop of the blood of the old Maori left m this generation they would not stop at words. He warned tlie Native Minister to drop that proposal, and the Native Councils also. If the Maori Land Councils did continue they should be allowed to place areas of timber upon the market. The Native Minister said he knew it wa» not a pleasant, positiou to refuse the numerous requests from European quarters for the purchase of native land, but he would continue to do it as long as he felt he was preserving large areas from sale, lo provide u for the- wants of the Maoris at a time "which he felt was not very far off. There appeared to be a desire that the administration of aU native lands should bo handed over to Eui-o-peaus. Tliat might lead to better results, but. Parliament, should be- fair m the matter. Let Parliament hand over the administration of all the Crowu lands to tho Maoris, and the Maoris might hand over all their lands to Europeans. Most of the, objections raised were of such a general nature that they could not be replied to. If the Maori Council administration was bad, there were those who would object to native land •being administered by Lands Boards or by the Public Trustee. There were powerful objections to giving natives freetrade m the disposal of their lands. They should try and strengthen weak spots m ■the administration. As to the Ohutu block, he was sceptical as to the statement of Mr Fraser, and if it was true it was not intentionally done. The 'reports of surveyors were contrary to the description given. As to the delay m the removal of restrictions, he justified it by stating tluit m one case the value of timber on land for wliich £4000 had been offered had risen, to £15,000. Why should they object to Maoris acting on boards administering 1 their own lands'/ The Councils were too large aud unwieldy and lie believed better work could be done by greatly reducing the numbers or by amalgamating two adjoining districts. He was quite willing that provision should be made that after the Councils had dealt with the lands they should levert to the proper owners after a fixed period. Mr Witheford said the Maori Land Councils had not carried out the purpose for wliich they were created. All over the North Maori land was lying covered with noxious weeds. He thought the whole administration of native lands should be placed l m the hands of the Public Trustee. Let the titles be individualised, and native land taken for 'close settlement, as if. it were owned by Europeans. Mr Alison considered that the native lands were now m the same position as when Captain Cook arrived. There were over two millions of acre.s lying idle m tlie North Island', and yet we were every year buying hundreds of thousands of acres for the settlement of the people. The fact- was that the Native Minister was unable to propound a policy wliich would meet the position. The Native Minister : What would you suggest? Mr Alison : lt is not- for a private member to propound/ a policy, but if I were. Native Minister I would have thousands of acres of these lands settled m 12 months. Mr Massey said the Native Minister wanted to know if those who supported the amendments were m .favor of freetrade m native land. If that' meant dispossessing the Maoris of every acre they possess he gave an unqualified "No" m answer to the Minister's question, but , they had to face the position tluit millions of acres of native lands are lying absolutely useless. The natives had no confidence m the Councils because they knew that if they handed over their hinds to the Councils the expenses would swallow up the revenue, and tliere would be nothing left for the owner. It was surprising that, a- man with the knowledge of tlie subject possessed by Mr Carrol], could not suggest a better remedy than some amendment on the Native Land Administration Act of five years ago. The Maoris were petitioning the House asking to be given tlie administration of their own affairs. Mr Carroll): That's freetrade, r . Mr Massey wiid it was not- freetrade. There was a clause m the petition asking tliat each indlvidiual Maori should be compelled to retain sufficient land on wliich to live. The only danger was that tho Maoris would squander the money, and he believed it Mas the duty of the . State- to safeguard against that. . Tlie surplus lands should be disposed of. He did not. care lio-w, so long as I hey were profitably employed. This was not a .party question. Both sides agreed that the system was a failure. * When the Hon. Mahuta was appointed to the Executive Council, they were told that the native difficulty was at an end ; but tlie difficulty had become intensified, and the position was now more serious than it was months ago. Even Mahuta himself did not approve of the native land policy of the Government. They desired to see tlie lands settled!, but thi.it could, not be brought about so long as the present system continued. . Sir Wm. Russell urged tliat the natives should be encouraged to individualise thetitles to their own land, and each native compiled to retain sufficient land, on which to make a good living, cither by farming it. or leasing it. That land should be made inalienable. Mi- Jennings suggested that the Councils should) be replaced by boards, consisting of a representative of the Maori race, one white man, and the Crowu Lands Commissioner of the district, and that the 'board should be- empowered to dispose of the surplus laud after reserving land for the support of the natives. The Native Minister slid he could assure the House that whatever timber or mineral value there might be on native lands, there was not much native land now available for settlement purposes. He pointed out that the work of the Council was necessarily slow, especially m regard to land l the title to which liad not been investigated. Committees had to investigate and report- to the Council. He urged that, considering the difficulties, tho result up-to-date- was satisfactory. During the recess the Chief Judge of the. Native Land Court would be employed iv consolidating all the Native Lands Acts. Mr Lang said he supported the Maori Councils Act when first introduced, be- , cause he tliought anj r " change would be , an improvement. But little good had been done, and l tliat little liad been ruined by delays" when matters liad' to be referred to the Government. Mr A. L. D. Fraser then suggested that Mr Massey should withdraw {lis amendment. He said members luid freely expressed) their opiuion on the subject, and the general public would know what the opinion of the House was. A reduction of £1 would do no good, and m spite of his (Mr Eraser's) argument, he would not vote for tho amendment. Mr Massey said ho had no intention of withdrawing his amendment. A division was called for, with the result thai Mr Masscy's amendment was defeated by 30 votes to 24. The following is the division list : — Ayes (24) : Messrs Aiken, Alison, Barber, Bollard. Fowlds, Hardy. Hawkins, Herdmau, Herries, Kaihau," Kirkbride, Lang, Leth-

bridge, Lewis, Mandcr, Massey, Moss, Remington, Russell, Rhodes, Rutherford, J. W. Thomson. Vile and Witty. Noes (30): Messrs E. G. Allen. Arnold, Bennett, Carroll. Colvin, Davey, Duncan, Ell, Flatihan, A. L. D. Fraser, Graliain, Hall-Jones, Hogg, Houston, Jennings, Kidd, Laurenson, Lawry, McGowan, R. McKenzie. McLachlan, McNab, Mills, Parata, Sidey, Smith, Symes, Ward, Wilford, Willis. The pairs were: — For Mr Massey's amendment : Jas. Allen, Duthie, Buchanan. T. Mackenzie, Reid and W. Fraser. Against: Messrs Wood, Buddo, Hall, Major, Witheford and Seddon. Messrs A. li. D. Fraser and Hogg, who mado the strongest speeches against the Government's Maori land administration, both voledl against the amendment. Mr Baume left before the division was taken, and did not vote.