NATIVE LAND SCHEMES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 127, 31 May 1934, Page 13

NATIVE LAND SCHEMES

INADEQUATE STAFFING

AN OFFICIAL'S OPINION

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

GISBORNE, This, Day.

The sittings of ' the Native Affairs. Commission, were continued this morn-

Judge Harvey continued his testi- . mony, stating that Goldsmith had full control of the Waiapu schemes. Though 1 communicating to a great extent -with .Wellington, witness said that he felt : , sore and would have liked to sen everything come through the Gisbonre v.office.- - There was little cohesion between the ; offices concerning the coast scheme. The Gisborne office was hopelessly in . .the dark as to what was being; done. jJiHad; there- been an adequate)staff -■* h,e believed the Audit Department would have had no ground for complaint. Witness supervised seven development schemes with one accountant and ia . small staff. Also, as agent for the East Coast; Commissioner, he was eonccrned with the farming of" 90,000 acres of land. The financial position' of this trust had been very bad but was now sound. Taken right through, ■_ the development schemes, were a suc--r cess. The work was done more by -.collaboration with the Minister than by ~-direction from him. It was what the .; Minister called:team-work. ; Dealing with stores issues, Judge Harvey, in answer to the chairmali, -• stated that he was worried about the -,-; grass seed being issued to the Suppliers a,of the dairy factory, and had gone into the matter with the Treasury; the impression then being that all would be repaid by March, 1933. The seed was . sent up under instructions from. "Wellington, but from whom witness could r .Hot. say from memory. His Honour: Did you know it was going to persons outside the development scheme? ■Witness: Yes. His Honour: But you did it because of the instructions?— Yes. I was given ■; the instruction from Wellington.

Yesterday's proceedings are reported on page 4.