NATIVE AFFAIRS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21857, 20 July 1934, Page 13

NATIVE AFFAIRS

DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES CLAIM OF SUCCESS MR. FINLAY'S SUBMISSIONS [bv TELEGIUVIT —Pltr.ss association] WELLINGTON, Thursday "I am not here to justify a failure, I am here to proclaim a triumphant success," said Mr. G. P. Finlay, counsel appearing before the Native Affairs Commission on behalf of the Maori race, during his address at to-day's proceedings at Wellington. Mr. Finlay said that out of 81 land development schemes 77 had been commercially successful. At the same time, he considered the whole question of native affairs had to be treated as a "humanistic problem and not as a cold and commercial one." The conclusion of the address by Mr. R. H. Quilliam, counsel, appointed to assisted the commission, was characterised by criticism of the Native Minister, Sir Apirana Xgata, particularly, he said, because the Minister had allowed himself to bo, placed so often in positions where there was a danger of other interests conflicting with his duty. When Mr. Finlay rose to reply lie commented 011 Mr. Quilliam's address as being uniform in one respect, "a wholesale and unqualified denunciation of one man only—the Native Minister." Mr. Finlay is expected to conclude his address to-morrow.