MAKING GOOD

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 July 1929, Page 5

MAKING GOOD

THE ADAPTABLE MAORI. SUCCESS AS FARMERS OPERATIONS IN TARANAKI. , (By Telegraph—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, July 18. After a comprehensive tour of New Zealand, Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister of ■ Native Attains, is convinced that the Maoris, as a people, are adapting themselves in a praiseworthy fashion to modern conditions and overcoming difficulties in an admjirable fashion. There yet remained in New Zealand worthy descendants of the people wlio were led by tlie great chiefs whose word was their bond. . Sir Apirana said that lie was particularly pleased to find that in Southland, where the majority of the Maori community were of mixed blood, that though some of the physical characteristics had been lost, the Maori spirit was still strongly in evidence. The loss of the Maori spirit would be deplored more to-day | than the loss of physical character-1 istics. In the North Auckland district, where for half a century the Maoris had depended for their livelihood upon the gum and timber industries, and later on public works during the period of great activity in that direction, it had been found that with the passing of that activity the Maori had sought a livelihood as farmer It spoke, well for the pluck of tlie northern Maoris that,, despite their own difficulties regarding land titles, they had turned to with very satisfactory success. They were now milking about 7000 cows. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon): “Are they having good tests?” ■Sir Apirana: “I don’t know.” The Leader of the Opposition (Mr. J. G. Coates): “Some of them are excellent.”

Sir Apirana went on to say that the northern Maoris were occupying about 18,000 to 21,000 acres. The quality of their farming might not be very high, but they were making a good beginning. KING COUNTRY TROUBLES. In tlie King Country, continued Sir Apirana, the position was not so &ood, although lie did not- despair of the Maniapoto people, who had passed through a period of temptation, and he might say debauchery, for a considerable period. They had been living on the proceeds of money acquired by the simple prooess of signing a deed which made over their lands, and a few of them had saved enough of that money to build themselves homes, or to enable them to carry on as farmers on what remained of their land. Like many others who got money easily, they turned to and had a good time. Then civilisation caught them up, a civilisation which brought with it all its difficulties and problems. In the King Country the natives found themselves among one of the most progressive and impatient communities in New Zealand, and the consequence was that the King Country natives seemed to ibe continually bringing up problems which did not occur elsewhere in the North Island. Matters affecting these people were principally in connection with the problem of the deteriorated leaseholds. These were being investigated by the commission, and Sir Apirana hoped to lay that commission’s report on the table during the present session. PROGRESS IN TARANAKI.

There were evidences that young farmers in Taranaki were setting higli standards among themselves, continued Sir Apirana, who described how the Maoris had entered into dairying despite hardships. The only trouble was that they had no money. The chief reason for that was that in the years past a charge of £48,000 had been placed on the land by way of compensation for outgoing tenants. In some cases there was no margin whatever between the charge on the land and the valuation. However, these Maoris had struggled on and had been able to get stock and make improvements. They were now realising the value of scientific methods. He had been so satisfied with what they were doing that he had told some whose leases expired in the first week in July that the leases Avoukl be renewed for another five years. Later on, lie hoped to- make some small legislative provision whereby these Maoris might be enabled to secure the necessary things to enable them to farm successfully. Labour voices: “Hear, hear.”