SETTLING NATIVE LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3073, 31 October 1929, Page 5

SETTLING NATIVE LANDS.

A DEVELOPMENT FUND. PREPARATION OF AREAS. Provision for facilitating the development and settlement) of land owned by natives is contained in the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Bill, introduced into the House yesterday. For this purpose advisory committees of five members are to be appointed, and a development fund is to be created. The Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata, is to be empowered to authorise survey, drainage, reading, bridging, clearing, fencing, top-dress-ing and other works, which will render native land fit for settlement. The Minister said provision was being made out of the Native Land Settlement Account for the expenditure of £250,000, spread over four or five years. It was not anticipated that more than £25,000 would be spent within the present financial year, but the amount that would be required over 12 months would be about£7s,ooo. Tlie Maori land boards would be permitted to guarantee advances by dairy companies to native farmers. The board had to be satisfied that the security of the land was such that it would itself lend money on it- It was necessary to institute- an investment guarantee fund, and for this purpose £SOOO was being set aside. This would he invested with the Public Trustee at compound interest until I>: reached £IO,OOO. The Minister said he had been advised that that sum would be sufficient.

A clause of interest in the bill, the Minister added, was that designed u> prevemt the waste of 'timber in the Taupo-Tptiara timber area. It had been found that when a block was being changed over, the old owners often laid waste the timber. That was to be stopped. The bill was referred to the Native Affairs Committee, •