HELP FOR MAORIS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16175, 11 July 1923, Page 6

HELP FOR MAORIS.

SETTLEMENT AND HOUSING

SUBSIDY AND COMPETENT ADVICE.

Wellington, July io.—a pica f or a Government subsidy and competent advice for .Maori farmers was made iui Parliament last night. During the debate on the second reading pf the State Advances Amendment) Bill in the House of .Representatives last night, the lion. A. T. Ngafca addressed himself to the needs of the Maoris. The Government was making- provisions in the present Bill, hd said, to meet the conditions arising out of the lifting of the moratorium. The Prime Minister had said it was proposed to raise five millions for the new Bill, and that the fund for advances would eventually reach twenty millions. It would be int(orestiiifr to discover what proportion of that amount would bo given to the Maoris. He did not think they.-would get half a million. One result of the operations of the lending Departments was to drive Maoris into the hands of the Native Trust Office, where- the money that was operated on was their own. The least that might be dene for the Maoris was tihnt the amount a* tho credit p£Hha Native Trust Offi-e should be subsidised. It was not safe, .said Mr. Ngata, for the Native Trustee to loan more than half of the funds* nt his disposal, as he had to work on margins, to meeti claims of minors comintr of a/e, or comply with orders of the Native Land Court, as Avell as other obligations.

SCHEME FOR FINANCING MAORIS

"The time is fully ripe," ho said, "wli.cn there should be a special Department created, preferably in connection with the Native Trust Department, which would have for its main purpose the proper supervision of the expenditure of moneys for the Natives. 1 thought it was a weakness of the; Ad-ra-ftooa to Settlors Act! last year that it did riot provide machinery to supervise the lending of money oh'stock. In the case of the Maori, it'is not sufficient to consider tha security of the'land'; there is'the personal consideration!—hisehai'ncter, thrift, and industry. That is why lending is reduced to the minimum. There must bo in the pastoral; agricultural and dairying districts of New Zealand many men who have made themselves observant of the Native character, men who would bo in. a position to advise the Native Trustee in regard to the personal equation, whore the Maori was concerned. Further, there must he many men who are in a position to give the Maori advice, as to how to expend his loan, lay out the farm and carry itl on." 'i RESULTS ON EAST COAST.

Tliis had been very successful on the Blast Coast, continued Mr. Nuata. The Commissioner of Lands controlled a number of Native farms, there, which were 1 supervised by a gfvnUemaro who, after only eighteen mouths' work, had been »*jblci to report splendid progress. The best manager under his supervision now was a Native. The schemo of having a staff that would supervise the Native expenditure, should not cost the Government anything, As payment coiild como from the profits of the Native Trust Office, which were expected this year to Amount! to £14,000. "Before one penny of that money is touched, everything possible should be done for the Maori," said Mr, Ngata, speaking warmly. "If this scheme is adopted, it will save the country from the pessimistic outlook caused by indigency among the Maoris. Since the war, their economic condition is reeipdin<j, Farmers of the Wairarapa «"d Hawko's Bay have learned, in the lesson of the slump, that they could do a great deal of work now for which they hired Maoris previously. So many of them have been thrown out of work that it is nearly too late now to recover their industrious and comfortable state. Education, which was a big factor in the progress of the Maori, has also receded. The subject miffht better have been. brought ur> on the Budget debate, hut I thought it was my duty to the Maoris to refer to their condition, and to say to the Finance Minister: 'Here is our money; will you subsidise it with vours.' "