NATIVE ADMINISTRATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17953, 3 December 1932, Page 7

NATIVE ADMINISTRATION

ALTERATION IN SYSTEM MINISTER SCEPTICAL (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Though in accordance with the recommendation of the National Economy Commission, the Native Land Amendment Bill which was under consideration in the House yesterday proposes to substitute a land purchase board for the old system of the native land purchase board. . The 'Minister in charge, Sir Apirana Ngata, predicted that a new method of approach to the Maori would not work. Ho gave interesting reasons, pointing out that in buying native land one had to pay regard to'the psychological difficulties, and also to the business difficulty. The Maori would not sell his lancl unless lie saw the color of his money. Being somewhat primitive, he did not believe in bonds or debentures, which left someone else holding the cash while he drew some interest. He liked to hold the money. Native land purchase officers, therefore, under the system to be abandoned, knew that when they went to buy native land they must go' with a cheque book in one hand and the deeds in the other. This combination overcame the high policy objection to part with tribal lands. This was the system followed by the most successful purchaser of native land in New Zealand, Sir Donald McLean, who had a sure method of approach to the old Maori chiefs, and acquired for the Government some of the richest lands in the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay. Mr. A. D. McLeod (Coal., Wairarapa) : He gave more than a lot of it is worth to-day. The Minister: Yes, I don’t think he foresaw this slump.