THROUGH BAY OF PLENTY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 24, 29 January 1935, Page 4

THROUGH BAY OF PLENTY

PRIME MINISTER'S TOUR

THE MAORI ON HIS LAND

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) OPOTIKI, January 28. The ■ Prime Minister; the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, reached Opotiki this evening from Whakatane and was entertained at dinner by the Opotoki Borough Council and otker local authorities, this being'his first visit "to. the district.. Afterwards he received deputations on local matters. Tomorrow with 'Sir Apirana Ngata he will inspect Native settlement schemes in the district, going on to To Kaha, 45 miles along the coast from Opotiki in the direction of Cape Runaway, and spend the night there, returning to Botorua on Wednesday by way-of Kuatoki-and viewing the Urcwera development en route. Replying at tho dinner to the toast of his health, proposed by Mr., J. B. Gow, Mr. Forbes said Now Zealand had come out of its difficulties as well as any country in the world, and the outlook was not unfavourable. Referring to the Native land schemes he remarked that it was much. Iho best to help the Maori without divorcing him from his own land, and thus place,the Native problem on a sounder footing. He was very pleased with the progress of the schemes and the results in the conversion of land from fern and scrub were really surprising, especially on pumice lands, and the! keenness of the • Maoris augured well. Mr. Forbes briefly discussed the problem of the limitation of exports to Great Britain, and said he hoped New Zealand would bo able to make favourable terms. lie was confident New Zealand could continue to do its present amount of business and on profitable terms, even if it was unable to increaso" it. The Government had not shirked unpopularity or taken tho easy course, and now the ship had come through the storm with shortened sail, but undamaged.