Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY AUGUST 26, 1904 NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10138, 26 August 1904, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FR IDAY AUGUST 26, 1904 NATIVE LAND QUESTION.

The emphatic protest given utterance to by a large deputation of Maoris at Wellington yesterday shows tluit the Native land question is still hedged round witili difticultae.s, chief of which is the failure of the Maoris to appreciate tlie legislation that lias been provided for them and their refusal to utilise the machinery furnished by Parliament for the sottileinent «f their Jujkls. We have waited long and patiently for the. development of the Government policy, hoping tliat the present Native Minister, with his intimate knowledge of the situation and requirements of his people and of the necessity for the opening up of the Native kinds of the colony, would have been able to devise a scheme, that would meet with general approval and effect the purpose required. Iv the lirst few years of his administration, we believe, tlte Hon. J. C&iTttLTs hands were tied by the overbearing attitude of the Piv.:niar, v:h o posed as the father of the Maori people, atul m thus as m all other matters of public policy refused to allow liiu colleagues m the Ministry to act on their own initiative. Latterly, however, the Premier, recognising the limitations of hi,s knowledge on the .Native question, appears to have dropped out of the management of Native affairs, and Mr Carroll lias liad ample opportunity to shape a policy and organise administration which would bring to a settlement this vexed question. We luive desired all along to give his policy a fair trial, and we> are not disposed even, yet to join with those who are clamoring for its repeal on account of alleged failure, but we must admit tliat we liave bucii grievously disappointed at the length of time that itlias taken to bring tlie scheme into operation and at the small results tliat are m evidence after three or tour years' trial of the Maori Lands Administration Act. We appreciate they difficulties of the Native Minister. He had to win m the first, place the confidence of the Xativo people, and he was working a department wliieh was without finance and mieivid no co-operation or assistance from other departments of State, but rather the re verse. Some system should have been designed from the first by which tl:t« throwing open of tho lands should have been undertaken by the Crown Lands Department, moneys being advanced by the Government for Hie roading of the land before settlement. HaiJ that been done Olivtu block would probably liavs been settled long ago, and the success of the experiment would no doubt have stimulated the natives elsewhere to join m the scheme. Mr Oarroll, however, as Native Minister, lias had to "carry the baby" alone, and blame for the small progress made must be laid upon the Ministry as a whole for its failure to render him assistance. Thifact must be recognised by the Government that unless something is speedily done to restore : the confidlence of the people, both European and 1 Maori, the scheme will go smash, and the Hon. J. Carroll will he written down as a failure as Native Minister. Already there are the strongest influences at work for a reversal of the policy, and every day that delay occurs m perfecting the mechanism of that policy and getting it into operation, will add strength to the arguments of those who believe that the whole system is wrong, and that what is called Maori landlordry should give place to frectradle m native lands. Certain it is that tlie public will not much longer tolerate the locking up of some two million acres of land' m the North Island. The Maoris cannot be expected to longer endure, the injustice of having their lands tied up, and whilst that condition remains t hoy will naturally resist the imposition of rating, though the liberal use they make of the roads gives the strongest argument why they should he compelled to contribute more extensively to (he local bodies' funds. The Maori's cry, as expressed by yesterday's deputation, is for frtedlom, and l the great bulk of the people who know anything about native matters wiJl say that the demand is a just one. The Maori of to-day is quite capable of looking after himself m a bargain, and whilst he should be protected against temptation to .sell all his lands, leaviug himself without any for the support of himself and his children, it is only right tluit he should be given the liberty to do as he likes with his own. Unfortunately, the natives are distrustful of one another, and do not readily co-operate m the matter of land' settlement through the, .Native Councils. Perhaps there would' have been greater success if there was stronger European representation upon them. The success now attending the operations of the East Coast Trust Luiulk Board 1 may give ideas for the i<emodelling of the Councils. The fact to ho recognised 1 is that the lands must be thrown open. The policy has been "Taihoa" too long. Maori indecision on this matter cannot be allowed to stand m tlie way of the progress of the country. A way must be found, and the .lon. J. Carroll is the man tluit people are looking to to find it. The Auckland i'ercild puts the matter very forcibly, and we think fairly, when it says : 'The Maori ,must learn to work, to take part m industrial life, hot' expect to live parasitically upon a toiling European tenantry — and he really wishes to. Nobody w ishes to take away from the Maori such land as he is able and willing to work for himself, but he should most emphatically be allowed to sell light out ail his other land unless the Government is piepared to resume it — as European-owned land would be resumed — and to cut it up for closer settlement. It is absurd that we should be afraid' to face this native \ land question when, as a matter of fact, its present difficulties are entirely of our own making. For it is notorious and acknowledged by every man m the colony, including Mr Carroll himself' that if a clean sweep were made if c. via m prohibitive enactments the quest'nn v.culd be at an end. There i,s »i jy «i native lands question because fh«. Goveri ment | has deliberately set itself to prevent the Maori from alienating and the European from acquiring those tremendous a:ea«- of waste land which still lie lornunt vrder native ownership. This is sa.d to le for the protection of the Maori, i i.t if l.is protection ends there or H it resi Us m added, wrong to tho European, then we had better cease giving ths Maori special protection and treat him neither better nor worse than' we treat one another. If the Government thinks the matter too complex, if it is groping m the dark for 'suggestions,' as Mr Ctyioll implies, it is an exceedingly easy thing to individualjse titles and then to leave the question to settle itself. But to put millions of acres into bond v and thus keep them waste or offer them only on rack-rent-ing conditions, ,is an injustice and an injury to the whole colony."