MAORIS AS FARMERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13146, 7 April 1906, Page 6

MAORIS AS FARMERS.

FINANCIAL AID FROM THE GOVERNMENT. ; [BY 'I'ELEGRAI'JH.— OWN" COHRKSPON'irENT.] vv'.' ■ -;.::, : i : Wellington, Friday. ' I.v connection with the lending of Government money, to Maori settlers, ah Order.: iri-» Council has been issued which 'provides that every; application for ft loan shall be '..for-: warded * : to the Commissioner of : Crown: Lands/of the district for a. .report thereon. On consideration of such report, the Minister: may advance any sum not exceeding one-third of the unimproved value of the land, the amount advanced to be expended solely in stocking, improving, or farmingthe land. "The advance may be either for a fixed term, or;repayable by. instalments extending over a. period not exceeding'lo years. Five per cent, interest is charged for the advance. Mr. • Hone Heke, M.H.R.. is of opinion that many Maoris will avail themselves of the power granted by Parliament. Hitherto the Government Lending Department- has not advanced money for the purpose of enabling, natives to improve their land. In order to show that the Maori is capable of becoming a good; farmer, he instances the farming operations of the Ngaliporou people on the East Coast;'north of Gisbbrne, where an area of some 60,000 acres is being improved and successfully farmed. The land is carrying about 60,000 sheep, besides a large number of cattle. In some places at Wairoa, Hawke's. Bay, the natives arc, lie says, going in for dairying with a considerable measure of success.