NATIVE AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23859, 13 July 1939, Page 9

NATIVE AFFAIRS

POWERS OF THE MINISTER ABOLITION OF BOARD ADVOCATED ‘From Oun Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 12. The abolition of the Board of Native Affairs and administration by the Minister concerned advised by judges in the field were advocated by Mr E. L. Cullen (Government. Hawke’s Bay), during the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Cullen said that his comment was levelled as much at the Opposition as at the present Government in this respect. and the criticism made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr A. Hamilton) of Native affairs was a criticism of the former Government s policy. , , . " The Native Minister of the day has no say because the board which was set up by the present Opposition took awav complete control of the administration.” Mr Cullen said. “It has greater powers than a court or a land board. There is no Maori on the board which is composed of the heads of departments.” . , Mr A. E. Jul) (Opposition, Waipawa); There is a vacancy on the board now. Whv not choose a Native? Mr Cullen: I am pushing to have the board abolished. I hope the Government will do that. The Minister of Native Affairs wants to be brought into closer touch and he could not do this better than through his judges in the field, who know the individuals, the Minister should have direct control with the iudges in the field as his advisers.