HE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13494, 13 June 1914, Page 6

HE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

SUi JOSEPH WARD IN THE NORTH

TiUv, c ACTIONS TN NATIVE LAND

SS STARTLING TO SIR JOSEPH.

\\ to "The ColoitifiV)

Auckland, Jun« 12.

ili. ■ ... Wiur) rcturaod last even- :;.-,:■ ir.y; : , ';, :,;;,- thrCUf/.h tllO North | A.•!-];•.! ■■.•!-];•.! ■■■• ■i"'ii:i, JiTid iv iho . course ■• ,; .;::•:■ -with a i;Sta:''i-oporter ■li, :-;,<■; :■:,-~ /aid that-he fed been de"_ti----_■_*---- ;:;■ ;: •;' reception •-•liich he had rv-'-. ■■'■■ , ; ;•.■;•:. .■■.'evor ho had gone. The psoplo had been moab .cordial, and he liad had meetings everywhere. Sir Joseph said he noticed that criticism was already being levelled at him in connection with the welcome extended to him at Horeke and R-awene. The suggestion had been made, without the slightest justification, that he was opposed to the progressive settlement oi Native lands. It: was surely.: hardly necessary to declare that .this was quite contrary" to fact. He had made this abundantly clear when replying to the Maoris at'the places mentioned, where, in welcoming him in thoir customary graphic language, they had referred to their own troubles. He fully realised that the complete settlement of Native lands throughout the Dominion was essential to it© future progress and welfare. At the same time, ho had made 'it clear that proper consideration for. i the Natives was equally essential, and • that care would require to be exercised ; that they were not denuded of their [land,, particularly for speculative pur- \ poses. Eona-fide settlement was one 'thing, and the purchase of Native land for speculative purposes was quite another. Fictitious values and the enormous increase in price brought about by speculation would-meaJi penalising future settlers for years. to come. '"I have to confess," added Sir Joseph, "that .some of the matters brought under my notice during my recent tour have been positively startling;. I can hardly believe that the gr-eat bulk of my opponents aro . willing parties to what is taking place in different portions of the North Island. I believe in the speedy settlement of Native land; every facility possible should be given to boua-fide settlers to secure Native land wherever it can be made available, but I feel that a groat injury'is. going to be done to the future development of the North Island, aitd incidentally- to the city of Auckland, if some of the transactions which have recently, been brought under my notice, arc to be accepted as the right and proper method of acquiring and sofctUng Native land. Let me refer in passing to the -suggestion which has been made, that Dr. Buck, who stands as the Liberal i candidate lor Bay of .Islands, is opposed to the settlement of Native lands. That' .statement i& absurd. Dr Buck is one of the most intelligent and highly educated men'in the country, an-d fully recognises that land settlement in %lie North Island must go on actively and progressively, but 1 question very much whether-there-are many poopla in New Zealand who would be willing parties to what is going on now in different parts of the country under t&e> pretext of purchasing Native land lor legitimate settlement purposes. The- s'>'U>m beingpursued makes it next to irr.possible for a comparatively poor man, or even a man of ordinary means, to acquire land and settle on it with the id fa of profitable occupation." Sir Joseph was much impressed not only with the development in districts which he had previously \isited, but with the possibility which closer settlement properly carried out everywhere throughout the north affords. Ho was pleased to learn from a number or the settlers that it is probable that a freezing works will shortly be established in the far north. There could be no doubt whatever, he said, that it would give a considerable impetus to development in the North Auckland district