TARANAKI MAORI TRUST

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1932, Page 9

TARANAKI MAORI TRUST

BOARD'S POLICY DISCUSSED

TRIBES GATHER AT WAITARA.

MINISTER AND MEMBER PRESENT.

(From News’ Special Correspondent.) Discussion of the work of the Taranaki Maori Trust Board in the administration of the annual grant to the Taranaki tribes of £5OOO compensation for confiscated lands was the main business at a gathering of the tribes at Manukorihi pa, Waitara, on Saturday afternoon. Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister of Native Affairs, was present, and explained that he wished’ complaints he had received at Wellington to be discussed before the assembled representatives of the tribes. Mr. Taite te Tomo, member of Parliament for the Western Maori electorate, was also present, and included in the party were Lady Ngata,. Miss Hana Ngata, Mr. Balneavis (private secretary to Sir Apirana) and Mr. Marumaru (Wanganui). .Mr. Kahu Heremain, chief of the Atiawa people, presided over the gathering, which comprised between 500 and 600 representatives of the districts between Waitotara and White Cliffs. The official party, which had travelled to Wanganui from Wellington on Friday, motored north and arrived at Waitara soon after noon. The tribal representatives had been gathering since Thursday, as Friday, the eighteenth, was the monthly recogntion of Te Whiti’s day. When the party arrived it was welcomed by only one representative, as everybody was anxious to have the business concluded as soon as possible. Mr. Te Tomo replied on behalf of the visitors, and asked the people to be concise. APPEALS TO MINISTER. Immediately after lunch Mr. Te Tomo opened proceedings by stating that the Minister was present at the invitation of certain members of the local tribe with a view to deciding certain matters in connection with the administration of funds entrusted to the Taranaki Maori Trust Board. The Minister, during the course of the year had received many appeals by letter as well as deputations censuring the expenditure of those funds. Mr. Te Tomo explained that among those present at the pa he noticed several who had visited Wellington for the purpose of laying their complaints before the Minister. There were also on the table before them many files of letters received. It was the wish of the Minister that all complaints either verbally or by letter should be thoroughly investigated and decided to the satisfaction of all parties. The distribution of the funds to the different tribes throughI out the province had certainly been a difficult task, some tribes maintaining that they had not been treated as liberally as others. It was therefore their duty to lay this complaints not only before the Minister but also before the tribes assembled at Manukorihi. “I see among you representatives from all parts of Taranaki and I hope such a meeting will be able to determine matters to the utmost satisfaction of all concerned,” concluded the member. Sir Apirana explained at length the functions of the board. It had been elected by the people to administer certain funds in the general. interest. , It was a legally constituted body, and therefore had a right to determine finally any questions or applications that might be sent to it. The Minister congratulated the board on the very good work that it had done during the past two-years. As far as he was concerned he did not favour any applications made directly to himself.' Such an action belittled the authority of the board. The board had been constituted to transact, all the business pertaining to the funds it administered. Sir Apirana asked what the people intended doing regarding the election of a new board. On looking at the balance sheet and report, he’ said, he fell that the board had done its best for the people of the Taranaki tribes. After the money left the department, the board had control to spent it for the benefit of the people, with his sanction. TRIBAL REPRESENTATION. After Sir Apirana had finished speaking it appeared that the substance of the complaints made concerned tribal representation on the board. It was asked why Ngatiruanui had two representatives and Atiawa only one, when the two tribes were numerically of the same strength. Such a position, it was considered by some, was liable to cause unequal distribution of funds. The position had come about, it was explained, by circumstances that had arisen since the' original election of the board. When that body had been first constituted Ngatiruanui had'had two representatives. Atiawa’s sole member being Sir Maui Pomare. Sir Maui was such an able man that his representation was full satisfactory. Since his death, however, the election of his one successor had not fully replaced him. The policy of tire board, it was explained, had been first of all to bring the people together; therefore it had begun by the building of meeting houses on-the maraes. That had been the wish of Sir Maui himself—that the people should first be brought together by the spending of money on the maraes. Later the' board would extend its activities to the assistance of farming, having attained its first objective. That it could not do everything at once was impressed upon the. meeting; the policy had been to look after present needs before venturing further. Now that the maraes were established the board would devote itself to the consideration of other business.

At the conclusion of the meeting the impression left was that those present were satisfied and the board’s actions were approved. The election of board members at the end of the month will not now be necessary as the meeting on Saturday unanimously re-elected the board as at present constituted: Messrs. Tupito Marvera (chairman), Hapi Love, Wi Tako, Wi Kupe Raungaiti, Rima Wakarua, Pouwhareumu Toi, and W. Wakarua (secretary). Sir Apirana and his party spent the night at Waitara, leaving early on Sunday morning to visit two of the Minister’s land settlement schemes, at Mahoenui and Waimiha. From there they went to Taumaranui, eventually to board the Limited express to enable the two members to be present when the House meets this morning. BOARD’S BALANCE SHEET. INCOME AND EXPENDITURE. On the balance sheet for the first period of the hoard's administration, ended on March 31, 1932, were shown the following items:— Expenditure: (1) Grants (a) for the improvement of maraes and the erection of buildings,’ £2671 Os 2d (b). to aged people £59 Ils Bd, for the assistance of indigent familes £2O, to a blind man £6 sd; (c) for maintenance of maraes, £600; a total of £3588 2s 9d in grants. (2) Ad-

ministration: (a) Members £204,- expenses £147 12s 4d, individual grant £6 10s, other expenses £l4 18s 2d; a total of £373 0s 6d; (b) secretary’s salary £2OO, expenses £l2 9s 2d; a total of £212 9s 2d; (c) Hawera office: rent and rates £53 13s Bd, stationery. £45 15s 2d, telephone and post office box £l3 4s 6d, repairs £26 9s 6d, electricity £l3 9s 3d, subscription £4 14s, bank and stamp charges £3 2s 4d, telegrams £2 2s, stamps £1 17s lOd, postage £1 14s 7d, furniture 7s, other expenses £2 9s 6d, depreciation £3 2s 8d; a total of £172 13s. „ x , Income: Compensation for confiscated land grant for two years £lO,OOO, interest £4 7s 6d; total of £10,004 7s 6d. The balance on land at March 3J. was £5658 2s Id.