NATIVE AFFAIRS CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1933, Page 4

NATIVE AFFAIRS CONTROL

TRANSFERENCE OF POWERS

AMENDING BILL IN PARLIAMENT. NATIVE BOARD RESPONSIBILITY. UNDERTAKING OF GOVERNMENT. (By Wire— Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night The undertaking given by the Government that the whole of the powers of Native land, settlement would be transferred from the Native Minister to the board, of which the Minister is » member, is carried out in the Native Purposes Bill introduced in the House tonight The Bill was read a first time and sent to the Native Affairs Committee.

Funds for the administration of Maori land boards are to be repaid to the Consolidated Fund on requisition made under the authority of the Minister of Fin.ance instead of the Native Minister. The spending authority of these boards is also subject to approval of the Minister of Finance instead of the Native Minister, and the transfer of funds from one board to another can only in future be made under authority from the Minister of Finance. The whole of the Native Minister’s control over the guarantee fund for the protection of Native lands is transferred to the Minister of Finance. It will also be necessary in future for the Minister of Finance instead of the Native Minister to give authority for boards to engage in industrial undertakings on behalf of the. Natives. In future the Native Land Settlement Board is to control the following matters in place of the Native Minister: Advances upon mortgage by Maori land boards, all expenditure by Maori land boards in the direction of making advances to Natives, guaranteeing of the accounts of Native dairy farmers, purchase of and farming of lands, subdivision of land for settlement, provision of funds for compensation for improvements, apportionment of the liability of advances made for development. The whole of the powers previously held by the Native Minister in reference to the development of Native-owned land are placed in the hands of the Native Land Settlement Board. Power to compound Native fates is also placed in the hands of the Native Land Settlement Board in place of the Native Minister. The appointment of managers of farms held by Maori land boards is to be made by the Public Service Commissioner instead of the Native Minister. In the Native Trustee Act, 1930, a number of powers are exercisable by the Native Trustee with the approval of the Native Minister, but an amending clause in the Bill substitutes the Native Land Settlement Board for the Minister. The board thus exercises final authority over borrowing, appointment of managers of farms and all matters connected with the administration, improvement and settlement of such lands.

Any contract made by the Native Land Settlement Board is to be signed by two of its members, and no verbal contract is to be made involving the payment by the board of a sum exceeding £2O.