MAORI FARMERS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 January 1931, Page 8

MAORI FARMERS

HORAHORA SCHEME

GRANT FOR DEVELOPMENT

By a decision of Cabinet on Thursday a total of 2872 acres is to be added to‘the Horahora native land development scheme, and a grant oi' £4oo;> has been made for development work on this particular section. An immediate start is to be made upon development work on the additional area, the inclusion of which in the scheme will provide for the extension of a project engaging particular attention, in \ iew oi the fact that it is operated by Maoris. ' The Horahora development scheme 1 is one oi the most interesting of the liati.e land worms being carried out by j the Hew Zealand Government. A total. of aoout £12,390 lias been spent on the area to date. It was handed over to the Native Minister for development at the end of November, 1929, on the. distinct understanding that ho would j be free to import a small expert colony | of Maoris from Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay. ; which would receive selections of land, i This colony consisted of 16 men, I who with their wives and families to- : tailed 60 persons. They arrived at Kotorua at the end of last Januai \, and work was started on the southern end of the block in the first week m February. At the same, time 12 men of the tribe owning -the land, under their chief, an experienced farm manager as foreman, established themselves at the northern end of the block. The development work was carried out under European supervision, and considerable, progress was made. Over 1000 acres lias been cleared of scrub, ploughed, manured, and sown in grass, and in addition live and a quarter miles of internal tracks have been laid, with culverts and fillings. Crops have been sown over more than 36 acres, and 115 chains of seven-wire fences have been erected. About 100 men. women and children are on the property, and it is expected that this number will be increased to 150 or more this year. A canvas school with rough floors and lining has been constructed for the teaching of {the children, while ten dwellings have (been erected. Tractors and motors, las well as various implements, have j been purchased in duplicate, so that the two parties could work independently. The scheme is much in advance of others being undertaken by the Native Department, and it is intended to start dairying operations next j spring.