THE ROAD BACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 9

THE ROAD BACK.

NGAPUHIS' MARCH. PROSPECTS AT WAIMA. BOULDERS FOR REMOVAL.

(By KAI-MATAKI.)

(in.) His. property 5a strewn with ugly-look-ing boulder's, and under them blackberry has taken root. A young married settler of' the real pioneer type, lie is clearing these obstructions, and he revels in his task. Pity help the devastating weed when the- ground is cleared for purging operations!

. The holding is at Waima where, it will be remembered, not only the pound but grit and determination go a long way. In the opinion of the experts, the settlement has a great future. Self-reliance helped to prepare the groundwork, and the progress made in this sunny valley during the past two years entirely merits the commendatory remarks, which from other quarters have already (been bestowed on the activities of Te Mahurehure tribe.

Many interesting phases passed under review 'during our full day's visit to Waima, but if one impression were more outstanding than another it was the example of "heart" displayed .by the youno- native whose hourly interest in the removal of the rocks disfiguring his property was so arresting.. One look at the land, the stones, and the blackberry wrote over the proposition, for some of us,; the words, "Lost cause." The consolidation officers rebuked us. "You do not know this man," they said. ''He is the- best we have. He says he will clear this property,- and, -mark.our /words; he will. If there were champions in-this business would be in the first flight of them." At our side, as we looked again at those merciless stones, was the settler's cow-shed—the neatly nikauthatched outbuilding, which will give Father Time somethincr to think about. It is weather-proof, and .there are two bails. It haughtily-ignores the boulders.

The Difference. . At once discernible here "is the advantage the native farmer has, and will cpntinue to enjoy, over hi? pakeha neighbour, outside altogether of 'beneficiaryownership considerations. As with habitation so wltn milking-shed. As long as either keeps out'the rain and serves its purpose, there will be no overcapitalisation on buildings by the average Ngapuhi. The efficacy of .the Minister's titles' consolidation scheme has guaranteed that the land will remain the property of the man who improv.ed.it. With-this auto- ' ma tie strengthening of ,the incentive to ■ make the holding, reproductive,, the i tribesman has gone steadily ahead, but the placing is land first, building second. Improvement of the homestead. and the cowshed will come in-stages. And it will be largely the ■ result of example. The home of one of the-Waima enthusiasts, an established hard-headed farmer, is a model up-to-date bungalow. "Example," was his only comment when its sprightly appearance was remarked upon. . The v house of the district supervisor, in the township itself, is small though well built and well painted. On the adjoining section is the- village school with a roll of 101 pupils. It is over 60 years of age and still as solid as a rock. Provision for adequate ventilation, however, is badly needed, and fully justifies the representations made on the subject to the Prime Minister. Thrift Lesson Learned. Unpainted whare, rain-proof tent and nikau-roofed cow-bail will continue until the Ngapuhi have made their lands outstanding, economically reproductive unite. As one of .the Waima authorities put it: "Like the attitude of the native towards county rates, the policy regarding. rebuilding will be one of taihoa— extreme caution." With truth he might have added that these days the lame taihoa policy is being rigidly enforced by the Ngapuhi ' with respect to individual expenditure. Through his interest in the land development scheme, and the answer he has given the challenge of the depression, the tribesman has learned the lesson of thrift and :the value of being J provident against the arrival of even stormier days. Land disposal has- disappeared from his commercial calendar. The cream cheque is now his concern. He is happily working for the.(benefit of himself and his family —for a livelihood and for future security.

No. 5 scheme has not penetrated among the sections of the Ngapuhi tvo visited. Had it embraced them, the results of its operation, in the opinion of Sir Aplrana Ngata, would have been disastrous. "Nothing would have suited the native better," he said at Pawarenga, "than two days'" road work a week, with the balance available for idleness and 'touring about.' ' It -would have been a device of the devil as far as our people were concerned;" Without No. 5 scheme, but with a small measure of assistance fl'oni , the fund's Parliament has placed at the disposal of the Native Minister, the Ngapuhi is able to work every day of the week on his own land, in an undertaking of national economic value, either immediate or ultimate. - In the Swamps. A highly interesting development in the vicinity of Waima, as well as in other parts of Hokianga, is the scheme for the reclamation- of the mangrove swamps, apart from the ordinary draining of raupo-imprisoned holdings,' I think it was at Whirinaki, six miles south of Rawene, that the "twelve bob" drain made its bow to a pleasantly surprised community. Idle single men do the job on a community basis. The drains, which are dug on holdings under occupation, cost 12/ each. They are three chains long, 3ft Cin wide at the top and Ift at the bottom. We sawthree on one area. The attack on. the mangrove swamps is a determined one. Gangs of laughing-eyed, husky single men are encamped' on the fringes. Each days finds them in the mud, paving the way for reclamation and the bringing in of fertile land. "Tidal lands which will not grow the mangrove will grow nothing else," is one of the sayings in .the locality, and reclamation selections hava been made accordingly. "Yes, they may be 'up to their waists' in mud," said an official as we passed one of the camps, "but they like it. It does not conflict with their temperament." One of j th« strong points about these undertakings! »f course, is that apart from thl reclamation value, the work is, in thf meantime, absorbing single men. In common with Pawarenga, Panguri and other settlements, Waima abounds in examples of self-help and co-operar tion. They are basic principles in th« programme of re-establishment. (To be concluded.)