THE PURPOSES FUND

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 106, 1 November 1934, Page 17

THE PURPOSES FUND

.PAYMENTS KEVIEWED

DR. BUCK'S EXPENSES

Lengthy reference is made by the Commission to the operations of the Maori Purposes Board, and a number of complaints regarding the actions of the board are dealt with in great detail. Particular reference is mado to aj complaint by' Mr. J. M. Ellison of a! payment to a relation of his,' namely, Dr. Buck (Te Bangihiroa). At a meeting of the board: on March 24, 1930, there were present Sir Apirana Ngata (in the chair), Mr." Tuiti Mijkitanara, M.P., and Dr. Buck:; "The .Commission stated that it did not khow^whether notice of the meetings had ,been given to the other members of the board.'lf' it had not been, then the meeting was invalid.- If it had been given, then TJr. Buck was necessary to make a quorum. At the meeting, the- following resolution was passed:—"That tho expenses incurred by Dr. P. H. Buck' and Mrs, Buck during their visit to New Zealand should be paid by the board.": ■ Mr. Ellison informed the Commission that-Dr. Buck was holiday-making in New Zealand, and was, at the. time, a member of the staff, of the University of Honolulu, and being , paid by that body. The matter had not been placed before Dr. Buck, and the Commission made its comment: solely 'from what appeared from the minute book. The Commission expressed the view that it was a reprehensible thing that the resolution should have been passed when (Dr. Buck's presence was necessary to form a quorum, and when there were objects of expenditure much jtnore deserving than the payment of Vhis; expenses. There could be no doubt, ;the report stated, that- funds of the;: board had, since April, 1929, been -'expended excessively in the interests;'^ resident on the East .CoastySaiidK* in Hawke's Bay; and in the interests ol a few members of. leading families tthere and in Rotoirua. ]"■: ', .■■ ■■ "/}:^:;:;4>s^ Although the board commenced.?|oon April 1, 1925, with a cslpital *sum\of £90,000, and had received increments of \& 52,195,'the amount of the fund: at March 31 last was only £59,553-. That had involved a heavy trenching on capital,: and-if the process continued at -the rate maintained' during'■.tha.last few years, the; find' ; would disappear..in a comparatively:.few years. \':-V;^v;e;/think it plain,'* ; 'stated the Commission^"that the:, policy;, of:'the;board injistib'eidrastically: altered, ani.;-a," comprehensive;.and, responsible:,survey '.must,be": -takenCpf.the. field'o^;pper^ipn?a^d^a:;^rbp^rJpo;Mjßy; detwmin"ed. >: >.Vv!;r^.1-/f.V^ The. Qommission:mad6:^4uImber»bf;i:e:' commendations^ the 'if.uture; control of the Maori Purposes Fund,; o| which .the following are ; the most important:—. ~",,. . :■'.. That the constitution of the.board be altered to include the Director' General of Health as a permanent j member. ' .'■■'.' '/-■■ '■')'■■'■ That the purposes of .expenditure should bo exhaustively declared by the Governor-General in Council; or, alternatively, that' Governor-Gen-eral should be, expressly authorised by the■ Legislature to give 'to the : board .: a . .discretion within specified . limits and subject to safeguards. For . example, the Commission suggested .'■. that expenditure under any: general clause, should require the vote of at least two-thirds of all the members, of the boards •■'' ■ That. the subject ,of health be specifically included in the- purposes ,'of expenditure.,','.,.: ' : ' .That,::the>:'quorum of the ■>board should..be increased from: three to' five..v:.- - . :;'i/;A--'' ''■■■■': , ■'■ ;■■ '" '■''.' ■ ' That better records be kept. : The '' Commission stated that the .present minute book .consisted of a loose-leaf book. The resolutions were numbered up to 200, but.the resolutions as from ( ' November 10, 1928,. had . not been 6 numbered. Mr. •Balneavis,:the Minis- ' tor's secretary/-told3the Commission that that was,rbecau's'e;:tne. numbering a machine had broken dowiU-J That was; l six'years.a^o.. \ ;-;:.' ■iy^!;-^}^ '-■■*"'■ V;-";i'1 k