LOANS FOR MAORIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 2

LOANS FOR MAORIS.

' • ——< —* • t DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. 7 Tho Premier was waited upon on Tuesday by about twenty representative Maoris. . > _ The Hon. J. Carroll introduced the deputa- • tion, and explained that those present had ro i mained behind from the .recent; Congress to bring tho various matters tinder the notice ! of tlio Government. They, asked for'facilities -J for utilising their lands, the crux of tho question being finance. " *> .Mr. A. T. Ngata, M.P., said tint it was : asked that- a Maori branch of the Advances - to Settlers office be established, or failing . that, that the Government should earmark money from which funds could be drawn from timo to time by the Maoris. In reply, the Premier said that as they wero aivaro the Government had altered the Advances to Settlers Act to benefit the . ' . Maoris, and ho could assure them that-'he was very anxious to see that the Maoris should receive the advantages of the system. \ The question of the creation of a special fund raised an important issue. Under the finari- J ciaj power Government ■ was asking for this j session,/there'Was a proposal to raise 4n in- ' ! creased sum of £1,00.0,000 for this purpose, ' and the increased worker's advances under— tho advances to workers would be £306,000. " He did not think- it would be possible to ''V increase tho amount by another half million ' . either for the Maoris or anyone else, because the raising of large sums of money entailed -«. heavy l'espoiisibility on the Government, hut apart altogether from this money, they'.had moneys, being returned by the settlers j and tho profits of the Department to tha : | extent of about £800,000 a year; .and when ' the full amount making 'a total of £6,000,000 \ was advanced, ho thought, the return of the J money from tho settlers would increase-to a ■ million a year. He felt confident'that with tho application from the. Maoris later on, tho Department would not" be called.; upon to -- make advances to that amount so that lie looked forward to the time arriving, before . very long, to being able to meet the requirements of the Maoriswithout borrowing the money. He was Opposed to borrowing. Referring to-tho.limitation' of the amount ad- ■ vanced to £500, ho wanted to say: that.that . would soon pass away. The limit - was £3000 to each person, but as private'lenders had been withholding their advances diiring the last.'few months tho demands on the Department had : increased, and for that reason it was - a wise policy,- and by limiting it to £500 they were able to meet the wishes of a larger.number of people, and, even if he were to say that the money required. was ' earmarked tor the Maoris the same limitation would liavo to apply. Until the present position passed, the limitation-must continue, but lie would like to. say that lie would see that the Maoris, wqro . treated fairly by the Department, .and that the circumstances of the applicant should be looked'into.