REPORT OF THE NATIVE EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 971, 9 December 1879, Page 2

REPORT OF THE NATIVE EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE.

Extraordinary Revelations anjsJntJ ,? Mfc Seieehan's Public and £kiva3ce ... ; ; '"';% Disbursements. "*' "We Have the honour to report that the I Committee deemed it desirable to prepare a '-comparative statement of expenditure under votes for Native purposes for the seven years preceding the last financial year. From this statement it will be seen that the annual permanent charge for the Civil list — viz., £7000 — has not been exceeded m any of those years except m 1873-74, when the expenditure was £8249 9s 6d. Under . the head Appropriations, the tables show an average annual expenditure for the same periods of £27,160, or taking Civil list and appropriations together, the average annual expenditure under Native purposes has been £33,845. The expenditure for the 15 months from the Ist of July, 1878, to the 30th of September, 1879, was £46,699 17s 9d. In this total are included various payments to which the attention of the Committee has been drawn as not coming within the ordinary application of votes' tor contingencies. The summary expenditure for the three months ending 30th September, 1879, was as follows :— Liabilities of preceding year— salaries, £1434 5s 6d : S#n5 g X 8i & £ n 368 ***-**£' 4,7803 Oa 4d. Current year, £3877 3s 9d i Civil list, £8066 ;4otal £12,486 9s Id. But m addition to this sum there is an amount of £5799 19s 6d, part of which has been paid since Ist October last, and part of which is still outstanding. In looking through the returns from which the tables have been prepared, the first thing which strikes attention is the large amount of salaries and pensions. In the opinion of the Cotnmitte steps should be at once taken to introduce a permanent change m the mode of distributing these salaries, and to bring them under direct Parliamentary control. The division of the Native Department into two branches, via., Native purposes and Native land purchase, appears to create frequent doubt* as to the particular branch to which items should be charged, and oonsequently gives rise to a loose mode of keeping accounts. It is to items "food and supplies," "gratuities," "services rendered," "contingencies," so frequently recurring m both returns that the Committee desire' to call particular attention. In the return of last quarter it will be observed that the total of the item "contingencies" being liabilities for 1 the preceding year, is £8813 13s sd. In the opinion of the Committee, an expenditure so large under this head is suggestive of irresponsibility not compatible with the efficient working of Parliamentary government, and if not very carefully controlled and kept within proper bounds, is calculated to demoralise the public services as well as to exercise a pernicious influence on the Natives themselves. The explanation which the Committee have been able to obtain regarding moneys so expended is vague and unsatisfactory, and the system must neoessarily tend to set at deliance all attempts to properly control the expenditure of publio funds. The information contained m the precis is a striking illustration of. the fact. It appear* that, latterly, 'district Native officers have been m the habit of greatly exceeding the amounts previously held sufficient for " contingent expenditure " under their authority, and although Native negotations and the increasing number of Natives coming into settled districts may partly explain the matter, it cannot but be necessary that the Government should firmly refuse to give sanction to such practice m all cases where the fullest and most satisfactory explanations are not submitted. From the tables furnished by the Native Land Purchase Department, it will be seen that the total expenditure of the department for the year ending 30th September, 1879, was £128. 244 19s lid. of which, the sum of £10,972 15s 5d was required for working expenses. For the three months ended 20th September, 1879, the total expenditure was £29,604 16s lOd ; of which £3311 14s 6d was for working expenses, £10 797 10s 8d for roads and bridges, and £1474 10s 8d for negotiations. The total number of acres over which negotiations were completed was 268,386, the cost of which was £27,700 10s 3d— or a little more than 2s an acre. The number of acres concerning which negotiations have been m progress was 2,006,797, upon which a sum of £89,061 14s 31 was advanced ; whilst the estimated area of land still under negotiation is 2,224,070 acres, and the estimated amount required to complete negotiations £1,210,802 9s 6d. So that if the officers of the department are permitted to carry out all the transactions m land referred to, the Colony will be involved m a further liability of something like a million and a quarter. This amount is independent of a large sum which must be expended m opening up means of communication before the lands can be available for settlement. The Committee desire to record their opinion that the Government are not justified m entering into negotiations to so large an extent without at first obtaining the sanction of Parliament. The appropriations for Native land purchases since 1870 amount to £730,000, and the expenditure to the 30th of September last has been £735,128 14s 3d. The evidence taken by the Committee leads to the conclusion that the lands referred to are not likely to realise after survey the amount of the purchase money, exclusive of prepayments and expense on account of such purchase. In the course of their inquiries the Committtee became impressed with the conviction that the present system of acquiring Native lands is attended with such serious disadvantages that it is expedient to^ cease it absolutely. They are of opinion that the Lands Purchase Department should be abolished, and the Government, while continuing to exercise control over the sale of Native lands, should henceforward do so for the benefit of Natives and not altogether with a view of deriving profit from such sales, that all all negotiations with or sales to private individuals should be prohibited, and that the Government should henceforth, upon the application of any Natives, sell lands the title to which they shall have established before a competent tribunal, and cause the

lame Wbg^fturyeyed, such **^flfl^^L desired or? Appear* ■ necessary madfJEl^^k £the remainder sjjj|d by auction m bio M suitable; areitf The proceeds, less *posb of surveyjj|piepay merit of advances madej or other expenses fairly chargeable upon the land, and deductions for roads or other necessary purposes should be paid to or invested for the benefit of the Native owners. (Signed) H. J Miller, Chairman.