A MAJOR PROBLEM

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 10

A MAJOR PROBLEM

NATIVE LAWLESSNESS

EAST COAST NATIVES

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) OPOTIKI, This Day.

The local problem of "Native .landlessness in the Eastern Bay of Plenty between Opotiki and Cape Runaway, was emphasised by Sir Apirana Ngata during Mr. Forbes's tour of the district as Native Minister yesterday. Speaking at Omarumutu village, Sir Apirana said that the coastal people, though rich on paper, had only enough usable land for the present population without providing for the natural increase, which was considerable. They A-ere imprisoned between the sea and barren mountains and could hot be squeezed out at either end because the Urewera and East Coast tribe* would not have them. The only way of providing for the ■ surplus was to place them on t the pumice lands of the Arawa tribe. ' . . .

Mr. Forbes, addressing the people, said'that if the area was .limited it should be possible to develop it all under the present schemes. What provision the Government made for the surplus population would depend on the efforts of the people themselves. Mr. Forbes left this morning for Rotorua, via Ruatoki. . .