MAORI WELFARE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19247, 12 February 1937, Page 2

MAORI WELFARE

*i LASff:. DEVELOPMENT

- WORK &S SUPERVISORS

: TOO MANY RESPONSI-

BILITIES

-.'Public attention has been focussed during the past few wecfcs on the native land development schemes in the norl li a* a result of an" inspection made of the various settlements by the acting-Minis-ter of Native Affairs, the Hon.F. Lang-, stone, and the deplorable position of the inhabitants of these settlements that has come to light as a result of this inspection. "•' " •■"' " " -.Native land development in the.north really commenced at Te Kao, where the tokerau ,Naiiva, Land; .Hoard,, using! its own finances"?' commenced a development scheme about 'lO yeaVs ago, comments (lie Auckland Herald. In this area the board not only controls the farming op'etations,. but jilso store and the lorries that carry the cream to the dairv factory at Awartui." The board also" assisted with, finance of individual natives in" various settlements in .the north with, in most_ poses, good results. The Native Department's land consolidation and development .scheme did not really commence till about six years ago. Tinder this .scheme a native's land holdings a*rc consolidated in one compact area in the settlement in which he resides. and the department assists the native financially in the .development of this farm and' the purchase of stock. -The department, as security' for the advance, obtains an'.order on,the native's dairy cheque. In the,majority of cases the amount--retained bv the department has. during the years tff.iow. prices for butterfat. not been sufficient to pay interest and sinking; fund on the advances. • AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK The, supervision of this y/ork is in the hands of officers appointed by the departriiciit, "and, however capable these supervisors may be, and there is no doubt of the. capabilities of the majority of the men appointed, they have. been set an impossible task. Their work i 9 «td control-and advise the natives in the conduct of their holdings,- as well as the general supervision of native employment activities. The natives generally are anxious to learn the finer points of fanning practice, and the best results are obtained by close supervision of their efforts. Unfortunately the time, at the disposal of the officers has not permitted this close supervision and the instruction necessary for the obtaining of the best results.

A typical case of the work required from u supervisor is that of the officer who controls development in the Mango fiui County. In this county (hero are 11 development schemes with 175 units, the area un"3er' development being 13,198 acres. Depending on these lands are 1172 natives,, over a quarter of the total native/population of the county. During the past y,car 1464 chains of new fencing wore erected. 1216 chains of drains dug, J 258 acres stumped, 181 acres ploughed, and 299 acres of bush and scrub cleared. MULTIPLICITY OF DUTIES These various un'ts are scattered through, the county from :is far south ns, Wfanngape, -30 miles from the supervisor's headquarters at Kaitaia, to VVhatuwhiwhi, 30 miles to the northeast. Added to this the supervisor has to control native unemployment relief from Whangape to as far'north as '!>.• liapna, GO, miles to tho north of b'is headquarters. \Vhbn it is considered that besides all'this field work the supervisor has to do his own office w ork, write out his own roport and prepare all the" necessary forms and arrange for the payment of, at times, ISO native unemployed scattered throughout the cotihty, it will bo seen that it is doubly impossible, lo efficiently carry out his duties as supervisor of tho farming methods of the natives.

For a time this supervisor hail the serviced'in his office of an unemployed native, ..who, having received a good education, was anxious to undertake the office "work, and was capable of doing so. The supervisor, put of his own salary, subsidised the amount this native youth was'receiving from the employment fund, j However, apparently this arrangement was contrary to regulations, and I henative youth had to be dismissed Froiuij the office: i It'is at once apparent to anyone with/ n knowledge of the native problem Vtati more supervisors will have to be appointed •> by tho Government, and that tkeatt supervisors should be 'field men and not, lie expected, to spend half their time, hi their office ,doing work which a youth or girl could capably cany out.