NATIVE LANDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19886, 14 March 1939, Page 4

NATIVE LANDS

DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES

GREAT ACTIVITY NEEDED

130 SCHEMES IN DOMINION

MINISTER VISITS MOHAKA

(Special to *.)m Ilprnld.)

WAIROA, this day,

The need for greater energy and activity on the native land development schemes, was stressed by the Hon. F. Langstone, Minister of Lands, when, in company with Mr. A. F. Blackburn, chief supervisor of the native department, Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P. for Hawke's Bay, Mr. F. R. Burnley, commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, and Mr. J. S. Jessep, East Coast Commissioner, he made a tour of inspection of the housing conditions in the Kahungunu and Mohaka development schemes. The Minister pointed out that the Government and the Maori Land Board had the organisation, they found the necessary money and appointed officers to supervise the work, but the whole of the development of the land was in the hands of the Maoris themselves. He was satisfied that at times among certain Maoris too much time was spent in grieving over little things and not appreciating what had been done and what was being done in the interests of the Maori people. Employment for Maoris

"We have 130 odd schemes operating throughout New Zealand and nearly all of them are in the North Island," stated Mr. Langstone. There, were 4000 Maoris working on the development schemes and in addition to that there were 1700 units. Taking into consideration the Maori women and families connected witli the units, there were, added the Minister, about 15,000 or 16,000 Maoris to-day getting their living from these schemes.

Mr. Langstone went on to show how much had been spent and paid to the Maoris to develop their own lands. Formerly Crown land, the Mohaka area had been handed over to the Native Department and given to the Maoris to develop. A sum of £43,600 had been found by the Board of Native Affairs and spent on the land, and in addition £12,000 had been found from the unemployment funds which had been paid to the Maoris. "No pakeha has ever received any consideration such as that," added the Minister, who stated that nowhere in the world was there such a sound and advantageous system as that operating in New Zealand at the present time for the Maoris. Sacrifices Urged

Sometimes, he was told, the Maoris could get better wages elsewhere and consequently they went to those jobs. If the Government was trying to do so much for the Maoris, who then should make some sacrifice for their own kith and kin but the Maoris themselves? They should not leave their development work for it to go back and be over-run with rubbish. "We want the Maoris to be settled on their land under the best terms and conditions possible so that they can have a guaranteed income without selling their labour elsewhere, so that they could live like the pakeha, educate their children and work together," explained the Minister. Mr. Langstone stated that 830 houses had been erected on development schemes throughout New Zealand. A little over a year ago the Government made a grant of £IOO,OOO toward a special housing fund for indigent Maoris and almost 100 houses had been built, while houses erected under the Native Housing Act totalled 38.

MAORI SCHEME WORKERS

FINANCE FOR THE FUTURE

(Herald Correspondent.) WAIROA, this day.

Information as to whiit would be the position when the unemployment funds ceased was sought from the Hon. F. Langstone, Minister of Land.s, by the natives of Mohaka when he made a tour of inspection of the Kahungunu and Mohaka native land development sell ernes. The Maori scheme workers were perturbed over what would happen when the unemployed funds ceased, as some of the farms were not sufficiently developed to maintain the families, as yet. Replying, the Minister outlined the amounts he had asked the Minister of Finance to provide him with for next year. Maori development work (wages.) totalled £492,200; capital expenditure (loans for draining, manure, stocking, fencing), £790,300, and .credit in aid £275,000, making a total of £1,457,500. The Minister pointed out that 1750 Maoris were not employed on the development schemes or on the units, and. as provision for them he had asked for the following: Housing, £67,000: materials, £33,000; wages, £370,000. If this extra sum was granted there would be a total of nearly £2.000,000 required to keep the Maoris employed for the next 12 months. There were 85,000 Maoris and 1,500,000 Europeans, and they all had to live together, added Mr. Langstone. They had to try and help one another, and by that process they were bound to come off well themselves.