The Maori Rights Conservation Association.

Maori Record : a journal devoted to the advancement of the Maori people, Volume 2, Issue 15, 1 September 1906, Page 24

The Maori Rights Conservation Association.

On another page is an advertisement of the above Association. It is an Association which will try to remedy all the abuses the Maori Record has exposed and materialize all the good suggestions that paper has made, together with all others which may occur to the Association. Below we print the first fourteen of the Articles of Association. Books of the Articles can be had from the Secretary, Captain C. A. Young, Post Office, Auckland, who will be happy to receive candidates’ names for enrollment:— TITLE. 1. The title of the Association shall be the “ Maori Rights Conservation Association.” THE ASSOCIATION. 2. The Association shall consist of an unlimited number of persons of both sexes, duly admitted as members, who shall subscribe to the rules, and pay the prescribed subscriptions. CANDIDATES FOR MEMBERSHIP. 3. Persons of both sexes are invited to apply for enrollment to the Secretary of the nearest branch of the Association, the Committee of which shall decide as to the eligibility of each candidate. OBJECTS. 4. The objects of the Association are to assist the Maoris in maintaining their Rights in conformity with the Treaty of Waitangi; to assist them to obtain justice and equity in all transactions referring to their lands; and to assist in every way to improve their condition and social life. OFFICE. 5. The registered office of the Association shall be at Auckland. EXECUTIVE. 6. The business of the Association shall be conducted by a Central Committee consisting of seven members with power to add to their number, from which the Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected. The President, Auditor, and Chairmen oi all branches will be ex-officio members of the Central Committee. A vacancy in the Executive Committee will be caused if a member resigns, is removed from office, or is absent from three successive meetings without leave of the committee. ELECTION OF THE EXECUTIVE. 7. The Central Committee of Management shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Grand Council. GRAND COUNCIL. 8. Chairmen of all branches will, with the members of the Central Committee of Management constitute the Grand Council, which shall meet once a year at such place and date

as shall be determined at such annual meeting. Special meetings to be arranged by the executive. Notice of all meetings of Grand Council shall be posted by the Secretary to the President of the Association, the Auditor, and Chairmen of all branches one month previous to the date of meeting. PRESIDENT AND AUDITOR. 9. The President and Auditor of the Association shall be elected at the annual meeting of Grand Council. CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE. 10. Nominations of candidates for the several offices of the Association, signed by at least three members, must be received by the Secretary one month previous to the date of the annual meeting of Grand Council. If there are more candidates for any office than are required for the same, an election shall take place by ballot. BRANCHES OF ASSOCIATION. 11. Branches of the Association may be established in the various parts of the colony, to which the local Maori branch will be affiliated. These branches may each regulate their own local affairs, subject to approval of the Central Executive ; but all business appertaining to the Association in general, with the names and addresses of each member of each local committee, must be communicated in writing to the Secretary of the Central Committee of Management, by the Secretary of the local branch to which the Maori branch is affiliated. ASSISTANCE FROM AND TO ALL. 12. All members of the Grand Council are requested to further the objects of the Association _by every means within their power, especially in exciting public interest in the objects of the Association ; and all members are invited to communicate with the Secretary of the Central Committee on all matters referred to in article 4. QUORUM. 13. One fourth of the Grand Council and four members of the Central Committee shall form a quorum. The chairman of each shall have a deliberative and a casting vote. SUBSCRIPTION. 14. A subscription of two shillings and sixpence shall be due from each member, male or female, immediately on joining the Association ; and on the third Wednesday in December of each succeeding year. Ihe Association is seeking to obtain redress of grievances by petition to the Legislature of the Colony, and in matters where Maori rights protected by treaty are menaced, by prayer to the Crown. Subject to revision, the following are the lines upon which the Association proposes to move and for their own protection in affairs connected with their lands all Maoris are recommended to adopt them and assist the Association which is endeavouring to assist them: — SUGGESTIONS. (1.) It is suggested the Legislature should be moved to establish a Central Board of Control for the administration of Maori lands, the Board to consist of three colonials, and two Maoris, to be appointed by the Governor and to be responsible to the Audit Department of the State only. This Board should have large discretionary powers to deal with all Native lands, and beyond its decisions there should be no appeal.

Subordinate to this Board three supervisors to be appointed to each tribe, consisting of one colonial, to be appointed by the Governor, and two Maoris to be elected by the tribe.

Subject to approval of these Boards, the Maoris to have the absolute disposal of their lands in the settlement thereof, but it must be an obligation that all partition of lands must be completed within a given period, the period to be extended in proportion to the number of claimants and area of lands.

The first duty should be to ascertain the share each individual has in all lands belonging to the tribe, then to divide such lands, into hapus and again to apportion to each individual sufficient land for a papakainga. These with the lands which have already been through the Native Land Courts, should have the individual papakaingas pegged out for immediate occupation, and papakainga certificates conveying an indefeasible and alienable title to the same issued by the Central Board of Control. The Maoris who have no claims upon lands to be provided for by their tribes in the partition of the land into papakaingas.

All surplus lands to be surveyed and cut up into convenient blocks to be leased or sold, the returns from such sold or leased lands to be divided into shares and allotted to individuals in due proportion, and each individual’s share deposited in a Bank in the joint names of the owner and the commission supervising the tribes. This Bank account to be operated upon by the same joint signatories for purposes of improving each owner’s estate; or, with his consent, provide for institutions for the general betterment of the tribe. The Central Board of Control may on the recommendation of the Supervisors of the tribe issue certificates giving to owners the absolute disposal of their property surplus of their papakainga subject only to the common law of the colony. All expenses of administration to be borne by the land as assessed. Disputes arising out of partitions, sales, or leases of lands to be referred to and settled by the Board of Supervisors, who may, however, if they should consider it necessary, refer the matter in dispute for the final decision of the Central Board of Control. These Boards of Control and Supervision should remain in being so long as by common consent they were considered necessary, the Governor to decide when they may be dissolved. (2.) Ail Acts passed by the House of Assembly, and amendments thereof, referring to Maori lands to be modified and reduced to a code. (3.) The present Parliamentary representation by four Maori members to be abolished, and the same parliamentary privileges extended to all British subjects of the colony alike. This of course to carry with it the Maoris’ right to vote at all local elections, including the local option poll, and voting for licensing committees. (4.) The present Native School system to be modified and the curriculum to include education in agriculture and the useful arts. (5.) The Native Land Court, and the Native Land Court of Appeal with the District Maori Land Councils, to be abolished and replaced by a Central Board of Control, and Committee of three Supervisors to each tribe. We postpone any comment. Doubtless, with so thorny a subject, many of the suggestions bristle with debatable points. A new Native policy is not to be created

perfect and complete on a first suggestion. Any person who has a theory to propound, or an amendment to make, either in the existing or proposed Native policy, has now an opportunity of getting his ideas ventilated and fairly debated, by joining the Association. The aim is simplification of existing methods together with a larger economy of both time and money. At present there is an immense waste of both, to the utter impoverishment of the large majority of those Maoris who prosecute their every claim through the Native Land Courts.