ROBBING THE NATIVE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 110, 30 June 1911, Page 7

ROBBING THE NATIVE.

CONFISCATION AND THE LAND siiAKK. , OPPOSITION POLICY' DISCI* EDITED. The Opposition policy of free trade in native lands, without the merciful scrutiny of a Native Land Board as at present, was strongly condemned at Monday’s Maori gathering at Tcmnka. Mr. J. Craigie, M.P., said that a lot had been heard of the individualisation of titles and tho unrestricted tenure of native lands, but if such a policy wore pursued the “land sh irk” would bo along at pnea to do what had been done years ago—namely, “best the native. He did hot want to see a change in the present policy, and even at the present rate im considered that the end of all native land settlement was in sight! ~ r Mr. G. Witty said that, he did not wish to sec the native,. Ifyncl all sold. The Maori wan entitled, to, 1 have hind to live on as much gs. the • ]European. If over tho Pdam is were ,ab-rn-hed it should be by iiitermarriage with Europeans, but to. .^all. ,thVi.r. lands and leave thorn pspniless.would he robbery. ‘ l ' .b .' Mr. Andrew Ekctone,' of’i.lCe ,Kuiti. i remarked that it had linenI’given 1 ’given out' ’•hat there were six million acres of idle native lands in the Dominion, ■r, to be more precise, in the north. The statement was wildly beside the mark, but if anybody took it seriously they bad only to communicate with the Lands Office'. in Wellington, and they would find that there wore less Gian • a million and a half of the al'eged native lands in the North Is--1 mhl. .Most of the. lands had been leased through that great machine, tho Native ’ Land Board, and those who had taken up the lands on lease were absolutely satisfied.