NATIVE FARM SCHEMES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21326, 29 October 1932, Page 11

NATIVE FARM SCHEMES

MINISTER DEFENDS WORK DENIAL OF EXTRAVAGANCE NORTH AUCKLAND PROGRESS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Friday Citing the success of native land settlement work in North Auckland, the Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngatu, speaking in the Budget debate in the House to-day, threw back in the teeth of the National Expenditure Commission the accusation that the Native Department was being run on extravagant and wasteful lines. The Minister indicated that he proposed to traverse that charge on paper and to put the detailed facts on native land settlement before tho House this session. Sir Apirana said a charge of victimisation of the natives had been voiced by Mr. Walter Nash (Labour —Hutt). The charges had emanated from the Wairoa district. He would like Mr. Nash to supply him with particulars of the charges so that ho could investigate them. "I can assure him of one thing," said the Minister, "and that is that during the whole of my political career I have dealt with Maori people as Maori people, irrespective of their politics." Proofs of History Referring to the general sympathy of Parliament in dealing with native affairs, the Minister said that as .a matter of cold V historical fact, there had been nothing but fairness in the treatment of the Maoris by pakehas. The greatest blessing that had ever befallen the Maoris was the fact that they had come under tho mana of tho Crown of England. Turning to criticisms of administration of native affairs, the Minister said that apparently he had to take responsibility for activities, even although they may have been carried out under his predecessors during tho past 30 or 40 years. He thought members would be able to distinguish betwoen the acts committed by him and thoso committed by those in charge of native affairs before he had come into office. However, he would take full responsibility for everything that had been done during his tenure of office. Ho could deny absolutely the charges of extravagance made against his department, especially in regard to native land development, and he hoped to be able to make a complete statement before the end of the session, setting out all tho available facts concerning land development.

Ngapuhi -Tribe's Progress The Minister dealt at length with the progress made by the Ngapuhi tribe in North Auckland in land settlement and development work. "The tribes of the North are the most outstanding exponents of self-reliance to be found anywhere in New Zealand, whether among Maoris or pakehas," jsaid the Minister. In view of the amount of criticism expended on the native farm schemes, it might be as well to remember that the money so spent up to 1929 was Maori money. The legislation to assist natives from State funds was passed in that year, and expenditure from State funds to March, 1930, was £6500. "In other words, in 100 years the Maoris had £6500 from State funds," said the Minister, "and in that time how much has the pakeha had ? Consider what the pakeha has had from the State Advances Department alone. "The work in North Auckland reads like a romance," declared Sir Apirana. "From June, 1930, to March, 1932, the Maoris had had spent on their land £48.000. Two hundred had been assisted in 1930, 456 in the year ended March last, and it was expected that about 600 would be assisted during the current year. Conditions in the North "I deny absolutely the charge of extravagance as far as the Ngapuhis are concerned," said the Minister. "They would not take any money for their labour until unemployment became acute. I have seen nikau cowsheds in the North and just two sheets of iron over a separator, with no concrete underneath. They are able to get along with such resources. Where else has anyone heard of bush being felled for 8s and 10s an acre ?" Afr. F. Langstone (Labour —Waimarino) : You ought to be ashamed to admit it. The Minister: I am proud of it. "They are reducing the charge on their land," he continued. "The Maori may not be a flash farmer. He may not get so much out of his land or from his cows as a pakeha, or so we have been told. We will admit the pakeha is a better farmer. He has more resources. The Maori is the pakeha of yesterday and he is taking advantage of his lower standards in these times. "The load on his land is only £2 an acre. It is good grass country and is carrying 6000 head of cattle. As an east coast Maori I take off my hat to the Ngapuhi tribe. Up to last March they had repaid £6373. That was in two years, and on the debt at that date, what they have paid in represents per cent. How many concerns are paying that on present conditions? I do not know anything in any part of the Empire, apart, perhaps, from the tropics, that can equal the cheapness of the land development scheme in North Auckland."

TYPE OF RELIEF WORK AVENUES OF PRODUCTION THE GOLDMINING INDUSTRY [by telegraph—press, association] WELLINGTON, Friday The need for absorbing unemployed in productive works such as development of •the goldmining industry, irrigation in Central Otago and drainage work in the Ncy th Island, was emphasised by Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Government —Central Otago) in the House of Representatives to-day. As far as goldmining was concerned he considered valuable results could bo obtained by spending money on the purchase of plant to enable the unemployed to adopt more up-to-date methods. Money could be provided bv the issue of Treasury bonds, say, £6,000 000 a year, and this, sunplemented by the £4,000.000 a year collected by the Unemployment Board, should be s'ifTicient to keep men on productive works.