LAND FOR MAORIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 88, 15 April 1931, Page 3

LAND FOR MAORIS.

DEVELOPMENT SCHEME. BLOCK NEAR KAWHIA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) KAWHIA, Tuesday. It is anticipated that the whole district around Kawhia will benefit from a scheme for the proper development of a large area of native land which lias been inaugurated. The scheme, which involves about 15,000 acres, will be the lirst of its kind on the West Coast. At the time that the Government purchased the Moerangi block 20 years ago, the Maoris retained the whole of the portion fronting the Aotea Harbour, an area of some 10,000 acres. Isolated homesteads sprung up along the foreshore, but the area never went ahead like it should have done. Visiting the locality last year, the Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata, explained the Government's plan for native land development and expressed the hope that the natives would make the most of the scheme. At first nothing was done, but later, due to the efforts of a few enterprising Maoris and their friends, instructions were, issued to Mr. C. M. Wright, farm supervisor, and Mr. P. H. Jones, of the consolidation committee, to investigate the position. Authority has now been issued by the Minister for the whole of the Moerangi block, as well as the adjacent Mangaora block, to be placed under Government control. This means that the land cannot be alienated, either by sale or by lease, and that development work will be carried out under the supervision of an official of the Department. Wire, manure, grass seed and stores will be advanced, contracts will be for ploughing, felling and fencing, and in the spring dairy cows or other stock will be supplied. The cost of these advances will be made a charge on the land, repayable by deductions from subsequent cream cheques or by any other means that may allow,the Maoris to liquidate their liability. By a special arrangement with the Unemployment Board the Minister ha 3 obtained a concession in the form of a subsidy of £1 for £2 for work such as ploughing! This will permit Maoris to work on their own sections with the knowledge that only two-thirds of the contract costs will be debited to their land. Now that the scheme is well Under way the Maoris have entered into it with enthusiasm, and the whole district should 'benefit.