LAND DEVELOPMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 121, 22 April 1938, Page 7

LAND DEVELOPMENT.

ASSISTANCE FOR MAORIS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 21. The statement that there were now 127 land development schemes under the Board of Native Affairs, an increase of 32 over the figure for the previous vear, was made by the actingNative Minister (Hon. F. Langstone) in reviewing in a statement some of the Government’s work on behalf of the Maori people. The Minister said the total area gazetted for development was some 808,175 acres, and of this probably 550,000 acres would-be suitable for development. The number of houses authorised last year was 576. These dwellings, to go on the development schemes, were costing £159,839, the sum authorised. The expenditure on these schemes for the year was £439,063, and the receipts £223,039. The amount of wages paid from unemployment funds totalled £194,020. This ■was a free gift of money, and the Maoris were paid wages for creating assets which belonged to therffc the Minister stated. In addition to the o/6 houses that were provided for under the development schemes, under the Housing Act money was provided to erect 172 Native houses at a cost of £59,146, and an allocation was made for. 180 houses for indigent Natives, costing £48,155. Thus provision had been made under these throe headings for the erection of 928 dwellings costing £276,140. “This is just to give an indication of what is being done to face up to the ill gent needs so far as Native housing is concerned,” Mr Langstone concluded.