Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JULY 29, 1907.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11127, 29 July 1907, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, JULY 29, 1907.

. A.CLEAI^-CUT NATIVE POLICY. i In this part of New Zealand, at anyrate, the native land question has long j been recognised as one of the most im-. 1 portant demanding the attention of Pao?- j liament. Its importance is emphasised' ; year after year as the growing eartir-liun-ger;of-tlie people leads to a clamorous de- i mand for land, and' the Government have done well in pursuit of their forward, land i policy to take up ••■ the subject in real ] , earnest, , and secure a thoroughly exhaus- , tiye '. and unbiassed report . from - two high 'authorities^ whose investigations and recommendations will "command the confidence of tlfei whole colony. ... The report I presented to Parliament on. Friday, a por-. : lion of which was published in our last issue,; another portion .. appearing to- ' •day, can-ies .with it .the conviction that tlie I Commissioners liave set to work, upon the ' problem in a thoroughly earnest and com- ' scientious manner, ende&voring to do jus- ' tice as between Maori arid European; and j to form practicable proposals for the.im- J mediate utilisation of the lands. The re- J port marks an important epojeh in native J land matters, and, if as. we^ expect, its recommendations are given effect : to/- a ( new era will begin for the Maori, anoVthe; . settlement of large areas of fertile" coun- i try- at; present lying waste, and unproduc- ] tive will be speedily facilitated. .As might •> naturally have been: expected, from" any ' Commission with Sir Robert Stout at the i head, the subject is dealt with on broad < and sympathetic lines, arid the adoption t o.f- the proposals will enhance the, reputa- < tion that New Zealand -bears fpr > her hue ] manitarian treatment of jthe nativo. neo- ■] pie. It is a report that. w4ll not satisfy j the viand grabbers and those who would i see the Maori despoiled of his lands at any price ; it may not satisfy those who have been crying aloud for the freehold : without the slightest regard -for the equities of the situation; but it will satisfy all who read it carefully with unprejudiced minds that it is an attempt to deal justly and honorably with the , owners of.ltbe soil.' The, Commissioners have defined a straight, clear-cut policy ( which if carried into execution must tend to the uplift of the Maori and the betterment of New Zealand. In shaping this policy they appear to have exercised the free hattd that was given them by the ; Government, and not to have been' bound .] by any indication of policy previously , given by the members of the Ministry. ( The report, however, in its reconrmenda- ( tions, follows somewhat upon the lines ( set out by the Native Land Commission , of 1891, of which the Hon. J. Carroll and ; Mr. W. L. Rees were members, and it is > to some extent an endorsement of Mr ] Carroll's subsequent policy of administra- , tion . by ' Boards, tliough it goes a good j deal further than he was -permitted by Parliament to proceed. Tlie :.most important features in tlie report are those ' which recommend the prohibition .of the 5 further .''purchase of native land by the ] Governmeiit under the present system, j and the discontinuance of direct negotia- ] tions between Maori owners and private ] individuals. The provisions enabling the 1 completion ; pi dealings, pending between 1 the Crown and tlie natives and the in- i vestment of. part of the purchase money j in the latter's interests will be much ap- t predated'. . Equally important from a \ pakeha point of view are the recommend- ( ations that future negotiations should only a be through the agency of the JJative j Land Boards, .with powers to sell and lease by public competition. The re- s marks of the Commission witli regard to s the illogical position of allowing holders \ of large areas of land to mop up Maori lands whilst at the same time the policy of the colony is in the direction of closer * settlement must carry weight, and the } recommendation of restriction of area is * a good and necessary one. From the j Maori standpoint the policy set forth of *: encouraging and granting practical assist- c anco to the settlement of natives on € their own land constitutes the most ; for- * ward step in this direction yet recorded. * Tlie arguments in favor of this course so' s ably set out by the Commission in the J lx>rtions of the report which we publish \ to^iay are sound and' convincing. It is * pointed out that the Maori race is at the •; parting of the , ways ;.» the next few'-^eprs « must decide its dtestiny^it is a!race worth « saving, and evidence ■ is( not wanting \ that * with .. proper direction and assistance it j can be saved. The Commissioners urge <■ that privileges and encouragement which « have been extended to "the pakeha should likewise be extended ; to &e aboriginal j. owners ,bf .the soil. Discussing the pro'spect§ of • tlie Commission's recommendations being given legislative, effect,- our j Parliamentary reporter, remarks that it j can hardly be" expected -that they will meet j with favorable approval from the Opposi- j tion party, who desire a continuance of private. dealing, whilst, on "the other hand 3 the report will not fulfil the expectations j of a section on the Government side of s the House, who advocate the continuance of the policy of the Crown purchasing s native lands. There is, however, a fair- s ly substantial party amongst the Govern- 3 ment ranks who favor the establishment £ of Maori Land Boards, but with more j extended powers than are exercised at * present. On the whole the recommenda- j tions should be capable of -being turned jto most excellent- and beneficial results.