NATIVE AFFAIRS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19945, 1 November 1934, Page 7

NATIVE AFFAIRS

REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSION

DEVELOPMENT POLICY

PROPOSED

By Telegraph—Press Association

WELLINGTON, October 31

In the House of Representatives this evening the report of the Commission on Native Affairs was presented. The Commission, consisting of Mr Justice Smith, Mr John Alexander (Auckland), Mr D. G. Johnston (Wellington), and Mr L. W. Nelson (Whangarei) was set up to inquire into and report upon the administration of the Departments of Government concerned with the administration of Native Affairs in New Zealand, and in particular — I. The schemes now in operation under the Native Land Act, 1931, or any other authority, for the development of the lands of the Maori people, and for assisting them in farming, and all matters arising out of or in connection therewith, including—

(a) The probability of their achieving the results intended, or of their being justified by the benefits they confer on the Maori people; and (b) The sources from which they are financed, and the expenditure and control of and accounting for moneys, stores, and credits in connection therewith.

11. The funds which are available to the Maori people, the purposes for which they may be applied or should be applicable, and whether they might be used more effectively.

111. Such other matters arising thereout as may come under your notice in the course of your inquiries and which you consider should be investigated in connection therewith. And to make such recommendations as you may think fit in relation to the matters aforesaid.

Dealing with the State development schemes in relation to the Natives, the report makes the following recommendations : /

“No new development schemes should be commenced unless they are regarded as necessary until the existing schemes have been established on a satisfactory basis. For example, we should regard as necessary a scheme commenced to settle the surplus settlers at Te Kao where the existing development scheme has proved incapable of supporting them. If the development policy proves to be successful, the tendency should be to proceed gradually and not to press the schemes on Natives who, if they fully understand the schemes, do not wish to have them. The Native Land Settlement Board should be reorganised (by legislation where required) as follows: —(i) The Valuer-General should be excluded, (ii) In lieu of those members, not exceeding two, who may be appointed by the Governor-General, there should be substituted such other members experienced in farming and business, not being less than three nor more than four, as the Governor-General may appoint. (iii) (a) The Native Land Settlement Board should meet not less than ten times in the year, (b) The Board should have power to set up an Executive Committee of the Board, including at least two members appointed by the Governor-General, and such Executive Committee should be enabled to exercise such powers as the Board may delegate to it. (iv) The following alterations should be made in the general organisation under the Board:—(a) A competent person should be appointed by the Board at a suitable salary to act as a general manager and superviser. (b) A head supervisor should be appointed in each of the following Maori Land Board Districts: Tokerau, Waikato-Manio-poto, Waiariki, Tairawhiti. (Note With regard to the Aotea, Ikaroa, and South Island Maori Land Board Districts, we recommend that such head supervision should be provided as the Native Land Settlement Board thinks necessary.) (c) Sufficient supervisors who are competent and otherwise suitable for the work, should be appointed in each district. (Note. —One of our members, Mr L. W. Nelson, has worked out a scheme of reorganisation for the Tokerau District, and we respectfully submit it in Appendix VI. We think that this scheme merits the serious consideration of the Native Land Settlement Board.)

“The method of granting, under proper supervision, advances to units not within the scope of section 522 is sound and should be validated by legislation. This will involve: (a) The validation of the expenditure of all moneys hitherto advanced upon the intended security of the land as from the date of such advances; and (b) the creation of statutory charges, as intended, upon the separate lands in respect of which such moneys have been expended. Provision should also be made for valid advances of this kind to units in the future. The legislation should authorise advances to units on current account. All securities heretofore taken in respect of such advances should be validated by legislation. Legislative provision should be made for the maintenance of all charges upon the land, notwithstanding the determination or transfer of

any lease or notwithstanding any change in the ownership or occupation of the land. Provision should be made by legislation for the removal of Gazette notices existing under section 522, where such removal is necessary, and such other safeguards as may be necessary. The power of control by the Native Land Settlement Board over Native lands which have been or shall hereafter become subject to a charge for development or farming expenditure should be continued by legislation until all moneys so charged shall have been repaid, whether such lands shall in the meantime have been rendered fit for settlement or not. Legislation should be enacted to enable the Native Land Settlement Board to nominate an occupier for the development or farming of Native land, whether such occupier is an owner in such land or not, and to permit of such nomination being made, at the discretion of the Native Land Settlement Board, upon consideration of a recommendation of the Native Land Court of the District, after an opportunity has been given to all persons interested to be heard. Similar provisions should be made in respect of persons for milking, farming, or cropping on shares. “To meet the case of any Native unit (and the case will, we think, be common) who cannot by the process of consolidation, without unfair delay, obtain a title or tenure to the area which he occupies and which he is able and willing to farm under proper supervision, legislation should be enacted to the following effect: —(a) For surveys to define the area of unit occupation. (b) For the Native Land Settlement Board to act as the agent of the owners in respect of Native land and as the agent of the Crown in respect of Crown lands to grant leases in a manner similar to that provided by section 7 of the Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1930, and upon such terms as to tenure as the Native Land Settlement Board shall determine, with power to the Native Land Settlement Board to require for its consideration

a recommendation in that behalf by the Native Land Court of the District after the Court has given an opportunity to all persons interested to be

heard, (c) For a system of provisional or special registration of'such leases. “Legislative provision should be made to extend the provisions of sub-section (4) of section 522 to enable an allocation to be made among units not only of expenditure for development purposes on Government account to render land fit for settlement, but also of expenditure on Government account for farming purposes. Where advances have been made under “blanket” schemes to a group of units, on units’ account, and it is desired to allocate those advances among them individually and charge the respective allocations upon separate lands, legislative provision for that purpose is also necessary.

“The farm organisation under the Native Lands Settlement Board should be such as to enable the proper treatment of the land of units which is affected or is likely to be affected with “bush sickness” or “noxious weeds.” Provision should be made not only for the supply of “licks” and chemical preparations, but for “change” country for the use of a unit. Provision should also be made for the use by a unit on his small area of comparatively large

herds or flocks at intervals in order to ensure proper and economical control of pasture and noxious weeds. The financial organisation in relation to the budgets of the Native Land Settlement Board should be such as to enable farming operations to be carried out with due regard to seasonal requirements. The accounting organisation should also ensure that statements of account are supplied to all farmingunits at regular intervals. The necessary information and valuations should be obtained in due course to enable the Native Land Settlement Board to consider and determine whether any, and, if so, what, ‘writing-down’ or adjustments should be recommended by it in respect of any of the lands upon which units are to be settled.”