NATIVE RATES PROBLEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 67, 27 September 1939, Page 2

NATIVE RATES PROBLEM

BURDEN OF FARMING COMMUNITY FARMERS' UNION DISCUSSION Following on correspondcncc with the Minister of Native AHairs in re-gar-:I to the system of rating of land.-} 'held by natives, a length}' letter from the Minister, stating the policy of the Government, was read at the meetipg of the Auckland Executive e,.; ihe Farmer*' Union h i ! last wrek. The union had previously dr.:wn tlie Government's attention to th? inequitable effects of the present system, especially in those districts, such as the far North and the Bay c!' Plenty, in vhich there is a large Maoi i population. It had been suggested that r. 1-loyal Commission should be .set up to go into the question. "The Government " said the Minister in his lcply, "is sympathetic to those problems and is desirous of solving them as equitably and expeditiously as possible, while at the same time preserving to the Maori race the economic background that is necessary to enable them to assume their full responsibilities as citizens. Tile State considers that this can best be achieve ! by encouraging the settlement of the Maori on his land, by affording him equal lights of. citizenship, as well as an equality of wages as is the case with public and local authority works.

"The first essential step, therefore, in rectifying the rating position is to have the lands brought into production, and towards this end the Government *ias set up an extensive

organisation r-.nd is providing considerable sums of money in order to enable this to be done. Up to 31s# March last the area of native land gazetted for development was 840,000 acres of which 252,000 aces are hi '•r.me den'ree c." pasture and arc stocked to cspaeity. "Tn return the Government cons'ders that the should stand ni) to his obligations as a citron and nnv his share of taxation. On the other hand -he State Ci'r.not agree to native lands being sol<l bcenuso of the non-payment of rates, until .:n ( -h time as a pa ! " f icular native has had a reasonable chance of obtain'i~i /v |i-.- ,in ; .|V,^n. T revenue to meet his ordinary living expenses, farm maintonaiT'e, an d such charges on the land as rates- that is to sav, until ho has had the opportunity of his land to good advantage tlvo'ioii Hnr-icinl assistance nnd ex-p>-i '<■ farming advice and gut da nee. "Th's long-view policy—and it must necessarily be so because of t!"> tjrr!» factor in bringing land into production—requires patience in affording tho M:,ori time to become a se]f-sMPnorting member of tho commun:tv but nevertheless such under- 'anding will be complementary to tho cmriponsn.torv foot in general outline and principle the o"lv and oftuilohl-" sedition to the native rating problem '« being vigr.rr-'slv pursued by the Government. " Altar some discussion the following resolution was carried by the meeting: "This Executive appreciates the valuable work done bv the Gov-

emnient in conncction with native settlement, hut is of the opinion that pending fruition of the policy set forth in the Minister's letter, pro vision should be made to relieve Europe?.'! ratepayers Oif the unfairly high rate payments they are railed upon to make to provide Toading for natives as "well as themselves." The matter is to b? pursued by the Union.