NATIVE FARM SCHEMES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18398, 16 May 1934, Page 10

NATIVE FARM SCHEMES

SUPERVISOR'S CRITICISM EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY ACCOUNTS IN ARREARS (Per Press Association.) ROTORUA, last night. The first witness at the Native Commission during the afternoon wa. J. 11. Watson, accountant, of the? Waiariki Native Land Board. The witness said that lie had held this position for the past four years, previously being on the staff of the Lands Department. It had been impossible to carry out a proper system owing to shortage of staff, which grew steadily more acute. He knew the system required, but there was not the staff to carry it out. The system of keeping a majority of the main ae‘counts in Wellington also made it very difficult. The whole of the accounts had now been transferred to Rotorua, and the staff increased, with the result that the position was now quite satisfactory. The posting of unit accounts was still a*ycar in arrears but he considered thev would catch up by the end of July this year. Prior to this he had done his best with the limited staff, but had been obliged to let some stock records fall behind. He contended, however, that his records were sufficient to account for the stock numerically. His office was not concerned with the financial side of stock matters, which were attended to in Wellington. He admitted that an over allowance had been paid to Mitchell on the Maketu scheme, owing to the fact that witness misunderstood the regulations. This had since been rectified. 'To Mr. Haropson lie said that no doubt the schemes would not have progressed as they had done without the influence of Mr. Tai Mitchell, who had not spared himself, in spite of the fact that he had not enjoyed good health for a considerable period. EXCESSIVE LOADING William James Scott, farm supervisor for the Native Department in the Rotorua district, said that all of s the schemes in and around Rotorua came under his supervision. Dealing first with his own work, the witnesssaid that the schemes had grown so rapidly that, lie had been unable quite to supervise all the ivork in hand adequately. He undertook most of the purchases of beef cattle and sheep, but not the dairy cattle. Some of the latter he did not consider good purchases. Dealing with various schemes, tho Avitncss said that personally he would not recommend the taking up of the Horohoro country for dairying, but lie had not been consulted on the land to be taken up in this area. He also considered that the probable eventual capital cost of £l4 or £ls per acre, which would be loaded on the land, would make it impossible for a unit occupier to farm it successfully under the present conditions. He considered that a great deal of it would be Avorjced as a payable proposition at £lO or £ll ah acre, but it would have to bo Avritten down. He did not think the costs of the implements used on Horohoro, and subsequently taken to other schemes should be loaded on Horohoro land.. The same applied to the cost of the internal reading of blocks. The natives ivere a good type, and were working avcll. He thought that if the capital ehargds were writt in down they would manage to pay their Avny. He criticised the system of manuring adopted which he did not consider suitable for Rotorua land. It, had been formulated by the (law-j thron Institute and carried out on thej instructions of the Native Minister, i but lie considered that the results j had shown that it was not effect ic. ] A fair proportion of pasture would have to be reconditioned. He con-1 shirred the Horohoro country could j have been brought in for £l2 pen j acre if horse teams had been used in stead of tractors. The rough lloio horo country was not suitable tor | tractors, which had proved very ex-< pensive’and had further loaded costs; on the land. v