BLOCKING- SETTLEMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2577, 11 August 1909, Page 2

BLOCKING- SETTLEMENT.

Mr/ Carroll has been making a speech to the Maoris at Papawai, in whicli v■ he dealt with some points of native land policy. We desire to do him justice, and it is„ gratifying to note that lie told his Jiearers that the‘Government could not permanently withhold, their unoccupied lands from settlement, and that unless the next generation * was better trained than the present the pressure of settlement would demand the surrender of v those lands. That is exactly the point which we have striven to indicate. We probably differ from Mr Carroll as to the possibility of withholding these unoccupied lands any longer. It is ridiculous to allege that the Maori lias not been encouraged to farm his lands for himself. Ho has had tho benefit of watching Europeans working liis lands, and lias learnt their ways. He has no difficulty, in this district at all events, in getting help to make a start himself. The fact is that he has not dono so ;to any extent. Here and there a : Maori has developed business instincts and has become a good farmer. But in most cases the motive is wanting. And i it may well be asked whether it is possible to put this motive into the native mind. In the meantime Mr Carroll tells us that two million acres of native lands are unoccupied. That does not exclude areas held in trust. How far these are Unoccupied we" should like to know. The native lands which are profitably occupied of course include all tlie blocks leased to Europeans, which sooner or later will fall into the hands of the natives again. Why then should the two. million acres he withhold any further from settlement? Wo are certain that the feeling against tho. policy ,with which Mr Carroll and Mr , Ngata are identified!is growing, and the Government will shortly have to choose whether they will jeopardise their existence by following the lead of those Ministers. —“Hawke’s Bay Herald.”