The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning. Saturday, July 20, 1889. NATIVE LAND LAWS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 327, 20 July 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning.

Saturday, July 20, 1889. NATIVE LAND LAWS.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

We have received from Mr E. F. Harris a pamphlet, in which is explained that gentleman’s views on the Native land laws; "as they principally affect the Native race,’’ the author puts it, but his modesty prevents him doing full justice to himself, for the anomalies of which he complains, and for which he suggests remedial measures, directly or indirectly affect the interests of every genuine settler in New Zealand. The views form the subject of a letter to Mr T. Carroll, M.H.R. for the East Coast Native Electoral District, and we may safely assume that he is in perfect accord with the views that are published. The mere fact that the names of two such eminent authorities on Native matters are associated with the suggestions ought—and we have sufficient confidence in the wisdom of our’legislators to believe that such will be the case—to ensure for those suggestions a careful consideration; and a little thought, we are also confident, will carry conviction to the minds of those who have common sense to guide their actions.

Mr Harris grasps the points and sets the facts before the reader in a way which betokens a complete knowledge of the subject, and the views commend themselves as being the emanations of a master mind. Referring to the Native Land Laws at present in vogue, Mr Harris conveys a most accurate idea of the situation when he says : “ Nowhere else do we find such startling contrasts ; nowhere else [?] do we find measures adopted which are so fatal to the object intended; nowhere else do we find the cure accelerate the progress of the disease sought to be cured.” The gist of the thing is conveyed in a few words—“ First of all secure to them [the Natives] land restricted from sale for their own occupation and for leasing, and facilitate free and unrestricted dealings in the residue." Mr Harris shows that legislating for one side only may result in worse evils than if matters were allowed to take their ordinary course. It is, Mr Harris contends, a fallacy to suppose that if greater freedom in land dealing were permitted the Natives would part with all their lands; this would only occur, if it occurred at all, in individual cases, and it must be borne in mind that Natives who sold a portion of their land would thus be increasing the value of the remainder. The loss entailed to the revenue by the present inequality of land tenure is pointed out, and a plea is made for the abolishing of special Maori representation, in favor of equalising the political privileges and rights of the two races. Mr Harris contends that provision should be made by which applications for re-hearing may be delegated to other Judges of the Land Court instead of as at present only to the Chief Judge, for that may mean blocks of land being tied up for a year or two. The absurdity of the laws relating to half-castes is pointed out, and one defect in the Amended Frauds Prevention Act is shown to be that in the execution of deeds a statement in the Maori language has to be certified to as correct by a licensed interpreter, but though provision is made for explaining it, it is not compulsory that the explanation should be made by a Native Interpreter. The subjects of succession surveys and Native duties are ably dealt with, the latter tax being stigmatised as a disgrace to the Statute Book, which it undoubtedly is.

The remarks on the constitution of the Native Land Court are published in another column. We entirely agree with Mr Harris’ view of the direction in which a much-needed refarm may be made. In conclusion Mr Harris remarks :—

I cannot too strongly impress upon you the necessity of having a law whioh secures to the Natives a good and valid title to their lands, and at the same time affords them a means of dealing with those lands to the best of their advantage. Let me again reiterate, that those means are not to be attained by enacting that blocks of land shall be partitioned into parcels owned by not more than twenty owners, and that to restrict any dealings with the land if the same is held by more than twenty owners is oppressive to the Natives. If to this is added a|multitude of arbitrary and harassing conditions, necessary to validate such dealings, you increase considerably the cost of acquisition, and lessen the value of the land to the Natives. .... With the experience of the last twenty-five years there should ba little difficulty in framing a measure which would secure to the Native the highest benefit attainable from his lands, and at the same time afford ample security at a minimum cost to the European when dealing with those lands. I have taken upon myself to draw your attention to this question, one, indeed, of vital importance td that race with which we as halfcastes are so closely allied, and whose interests are identical with our own.

We have never seen a better review of the difficulties that have to be faced owing to no defect that might not be

remedied, than that made by Mr Harris, and the best feature is that he does not attempt to pull down without offering most wise and practical suggestions in the way of reform, coming, too, as these do from a man so closely allied to the Native race, one whose sole aim is to promote the welfare of his people; but in the doing of this he knows that both races must be the gainers. We had almost despaired of any reform being made, for whenever anything is attempted in that direction the result as a rule is “ confusion worse confounded.” But now that the question has been taken up in such a masterly way by Mr Harris and Mr Carroll, we do believe that some good will be achieved, and we sincerely hope, in the interests of the colony itself, that fair consideration will be given to the suggestions made. They could not have come from a better source, and if there is that wisdom among our legislators for which we give them credit, it is a positive certainty that much good will be attained.