NEEDS OF MAORI PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 23331, 15 October 1937, Page 8

NEEDS OF MAORI PEOPLE

PLEA FOR GREATER ATTENTION “INFANT MORTALITY RATE APPALLING” (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 14. A plea for greater attention to the needs of Maori people was put forward by the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata (Nat., Eastern Maori) during the Budget debate in the House of Representatives today. “A Maori reading the Budget would find only one paragraph—and a small one at that—referring to the native race,” Sir Apirana said. “We have a serious problem, however, with the heavy death-rate and the great vulnerability to certain diseases, although, as far as the birth-rate is concerned, we are in a better position than the pakeha. We have an appalling infant mortality rate of 192 to the 1000 but the position can be improved, however, by adequate housing and sanitary supervision.” Dealing with the native land development scheme Sir Apirana said that as a Maori he was convinced that the Government was carrying out the only possible policy by providing State finance to help the Maori to develop his lands under good supervision. The supervision should be not only strict but also of a character that would inspire the people to get the best results. Beginning with £5547 for 1930-31, when the land development scheme had been in operation for 12 months, the cash receipts had grown to £129,787 for the year ended March 31, 1936. The latest figures showed the receipts for last year to be in the neighbourhood of £170,000, which must satisfy everyone that native land development schemes were a good investment for the Dominion.

Dealing with the cost of native administration Sir Apirana said that in 1931-32 the Native Department had a staff of 172 and the total cost to the State was about £40,000. Now the staff had risen to 284 and the estimate for the department for the coming year was £105,000. He wondered how much of the extra vote would be swallowed up by administrative costs. Sir Apirana urged the Government to pay greater attention to the encouragement of Maori arts and crafts and made a request that something should be done to expedite the housing programme for the Maori people. Housing and land development, together with proper attention to health services, would, he said, go a long way towards solving the Maori problem.