PAYMENTS TO MAORIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22205, 4 September 1935, Page 13

PAYMENTS TO MAORIS

KEQUESTS TO MINISTERS NGASTAHU CLAIM OF £500,000 TARANAKI ASKS EXTRA £SOOO [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday A large gathering of Maoris, mostly from Taranaki, met the Minister in charge of Native Affairs, Mr. Forbes, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, at Lower Hutt to-day, when claims were presented in connection with the confiscated lands in Taranaki and 011 behalf of the Ngaitahu Trust Board and the beneficiaries of the Ngaitahu claim (South Island). The Taranaki Maoris sought the addition of £'sooo a year to the amount of £SOOO a year already granted, and the sum of £500,000 was asked in respect of the South Island lands. Mr. Taite Te Tomo, M.P., appealed against lands being sold for the payment of rates. The Native Trust Board, ho said, could, with the assistance and supervision of the Government, do the work that was at present being done by the Native Trustee. Sir Apirana Ngata said that in 19ii0 an offer of £SOOO a year was accepted by the Taranaki Maoris, but it was without prejudice and the amount was to bo increased when the Dominion's finances improved, so the present representations were being made. With reference to what Mr. To Tomo had said, ho suggested that an administrative branch of the Native Trust Office should be established at Hawera, with the Taranaki trust boards as associates. Every Maori community wanted less centralisation at Wellington and more decentralisation, so that tho Maoris could know what was being done with reference to their lands and interests. The Ngaitahu Claim

Tho South Island petition set out the history of the Ngaitahu claim, which was investigated in 1920 by a Royal Commission, which recommended the payment of £354,000. Petitioners asked (1) that the decision of the Royal Commission of 1920 be given effect to and brought into operation at the earliest possible moment, and (2) that a meeting cf the Ngaitahu Trust Board be called during this session of Parliament to confer with the Native Minister and the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Forbes said the question of a grant for the confiscated lands would require close consideration, and he would go into the suggestion that in one case payment was not made in full. He would be pleased to go into what Sir Apirana Ngata had suggested about tho Maoris being able to get better access to information about their lands and rents. It was the people's right to know what was being done. The claims made by the Maoris would receive full consideration. Mr. Coates said the Maoris had shown their sense of responsibility by accepting reductions when the depression camo on, and thus showed that they had the national welfare at heart. Financial Difficulties

As to the question whether the Taranaki Maoris should get £IO,OOO instead of £SOOO, Mr. Coates said the £SOOO was a definite commitment and would be honoured. When the £SOOO was offered it was accepted, but the late Sir Maui Pomare was not satisfied with it, and said they would come for more, but the Government had not said it would give more. To be frank, he did not see how the Government could consider an extra £SOOO this year. He would be glad to see how far it was possible to grant the request for £3OO for the Parihaka claim.

With regard to the West Coast administration, Mr. Coates was of the opinion that it should be close to the people. The position with regard to the South Island claims was unsatisfactory. One of his first duties as Native Minister had been to investigate the position, and his announcement tliat the Government recognised the commission's finding about the payment had caused .a certain amount of consternation. It was a different matter, however, what the Government could afford to pay, and in his opinion it was a matter for compromise. That would be fair enough to begin with.