NATIVE LAND BILL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2692, 23 December 1909, Page 5

NATIVE LAND BILL.

DISCUSSION OP THE MEASUBE.

In moving the committal of this Bill, The Hon. J. Carroll said it was chiefly a consolidating measure. The Bill had received a close over-haul at the hands of experienced men who had had had to do with the administration of Native legislation. For the policy of the measure the Government was alone responsible. There were several stages tnrough which Native land would have to progress from its original state when it was under customary-, title until it became European land. The Native Land Chart and Appellate Court were continued,, but alterations were made in the constitution of the Courts, whereby the judges 'would be freed from a vast amount of detail work,so that they might devote the whole of their energies to the most important branches of their work. The assessor s were retained, hut their association with the Court would depend on the discretion of the judges. He might also mention that the jurisdiction of the Court remained substantially the same. AREA OF OUSTOAIARY LANDS.

Important amendments were made in respect to customary lands—absolutely Alaori Land —and the fact that these lands totalled only 400,000 acres -proved that the Native Court had been very active during the past few years. Upon partitions, the duty was now cast on the Court to lay out upon the Land .partitioned such road-lines (if any) as it thought expedient. With regard to .xchahges, the provisions had been made as elastic as possible. An important departure had .been made with respect to surveys. In future, the cost of surveys would be chargeable on the land affected. After dealing with other features of the Bill, Air. Carroll said that during the recess the provisions of a new Native Rating Bill would be settled. It would be one of the first measures to be dealt with by the Government next year. In view of the growth of European .population, and the development of settlement in the North Island, the question of rating had become a burning question. He was anxious to take the first opportunity to deal with the subject . VIEWS OF AIR. HERRIES.

Air. Herries (Tauranga) referred to the stupendous task which the compilation of the Bill had involved. Consolidation was very good, but something more was required in order to settle Native lands. The question of alienation was the most important part of the Bill as far as the Europeans were concerned. What was wanted was some means whereby the Europeans could secure Native land at a reasonable ,price. The Govemor-in-Council was very largely done away with as far as alienation of Native land s was concerned, and this was a great advantage. The great thing that would prevent alienation was to prove that the Native was not landless. The Native might have plenty of land, but it required a great deal of searching of registers in different places to prove it. 'He had urged an amendment to enlarge the definition of landless, so that it should not apply to a Native who had a trade or calling adequate for his maintenance, or who had European land. He understood a clause would be brought down to somewhat mitigate this position. He was glad that for the same time the same disadvantage with regard t-o alienation applied to the Crown a s to private purchasers. All orders of the Court ana other documents had to be registered, in the Land Transfer Office, and in future it might be much easier to find; out what Natives had. NEED OF A DOOAISDAY BOOK.

It was surprising that in all these years the Department had never compiled a Doomsday book of Native lands. Two or three clerks could have kept it going, and they would hare known what every Native owned. If the half million which the Government _ (proposed to spend was spent judiciously it would make a large increase of land for settlement. He was glad that provision was being made for the reading of the land when purchased. The provisions of the Bill were excellent if thev were only carried out. With regard to the lands recommended by the Native Commission for a better system of cutting up and arranging for settlement than that provided bv the Bill could be devised. The land would be cut up equally for lease and for sale. He believed that it would be a real difficulty, however, that no money would be given to the Maori Land Boards for surveying and cutting up the land. He hoped that that would bo remedied. Although, the commission reported two years ago not a single acre of the lands dealt with, had been settled by Europeans.

LIFE SHOULD BE PUT INTO THE MACHINERY. The Bill was right enough so far as drafting concerned, but it needed to have the'breath of life nut into the machinery. Under the Bill more freedom was given to the courts and boards. Without money nothing could be done to start the elaborate machineryin the Bill. He believed in adopting: a policy which would make the Natives: more fitted every year for government, under the European law. There could* be no doubt but that the educated; Maori would welcome such provisions. As it was he was being more and more driven back into the old communistio state, which history showed would never induce civilisation. He did not* agree that the Maori must be a farmer. The educated Maori was capable of taking almost any position alongside the oakeha. When that was so, he should not be placed under restrictions all the time in regard to disposal o£ his lands.

EUROPEANISING THE MAORI. Mr. Reed (Bay of Islands) said he considered that the objective of a good. Native policy should be the Europeanising of the Maori, and that had not been the policy of the last fifty years. The policy had been to treat the Maori as a child. The Natives were just as capable as Europeans in looking after themselves and advancing in this world. He strongly objected to the system of leasing Native land. He intended to move in Committee for the abolition of the Native Appellate Court. The decisions of the ordinary Native Courts gave very general satisfaction to the Natives, and there was power to appeal to the Supreme Court on points of law. If one or two Maoris were dissatisfied, and appealed to the Appellate Court,/ the rest were dragged all over the country and put to immense expense by the continued litigation. A Native Lands Rating Act could not be brought down too soon. A quarter of the Maoris in New Zealand yrer© m his Electorate. " Messrs Greenslade, Jennings, Pearce, : Pearce, and Smith spoke on the Bill, which they recognised as an improvement. ■