ANOTHER DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 29, 3 August 1923, Page 4

ANOTHER DAY

ON THE ESTIMATES.

Another day was spent by the House of Representatives on the Estimates yesterday. ._ , ■■

When the-vote of £30,078 for the Native Dei>artment was being considered, the Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori) referred to an item of £7500 for the de--etruction of rabbits on Native lands^ which he thought should have appeared under the vote for tho Department of Agriculture, and pointed out that tho Government was rendering itself open in so doing- to a demand for similar votes for tho .destruction of blackberry and other agricultrual pests. He urged the institution of special scholarships for Natives, technical colleges, etc. He would like to know where the money for rabbits was spent.

Mr. J. C. Thomson (Wallace) urged the individualifiation of titles, enabling a large area of Maori lands to be opened

up. Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) suggested that a subsidy should be donated out of the vote to the Native Department towards the Hawkes Bay Rabbit Board, which was operating on certain Native lands.

The Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) explained that the money allocated for the extermination of rabbits was expended on various Native lands all over the country. The vote for this particular purpose was a divided one, separate allocations being made for dealing with the nuisance on Native and Crown lands, the Native vote being charged against the Native Department by the Department of Agriculture. The Maori lands affected were large undivided blocks.

' The vote was agreed to. The Post ' and Telegraph Department's vote of £2,220,590 and the External Affairs Department's vote of £20,----789 were agreed to, and the House rose at 1.26 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-day.