NATIVE AFFAIRS

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3251, 5 November 1932, Page 5

NATIVE AFFAIRS

SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES. CONTENTS OF AMENDING BILL. Important changes in the administration of native affairs will be provided for in a Bill which will be brought down, probably next week, to give effect to several of the major recommendations made by the National Expenditure Commission. The contents of the Bill were outlined in an interview by the Minister of Native Affairs, the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata. The Bill proposes first to transfer back to the Native Land Court the powers exercised by the Maori Land Board concerning sales, leases or mortgages of native land. That function was formerly exercised by the Native Land Court, but when the boards were constituted about thirty years ago it was handed over to the boards which had general control of the settlement of native lands. That function is being handed back to the Native Land Court in accordance with the recommendations of the National Expenditure Commission. METHOD OF AMALGAMATION. Amalgamation is to be carried out in two ways (1) by making the Under Secretary of Native Affairs the Native Trustee and East Coast Commission; (2) by setting up a Native Land Settlement Board which will exercise general control over the functions now performed by the Native Trust Office, the Maori Land Board and by the Native Minister in regard to native land settlement. The proposed board will consist of the Native Minister, the Under Secretary of Native Affairs, the Under Secretary of Lands, the Valuer-General, a representative of the Treasury, and two others to be appointed by the Governor General.

One of the latter will probably be the Director-General of Agriculture or some prominent officer of that Department. The Board will control the investment of money upon mortgage in the accounts of the Native Trust and the Maori Land Board. In regard to this, there is a statutory limitof 60 per cent of the amount that may be invested in any security. The Board will also supervise and direct native land development activities. The Native Land Settlement Board will take the place of the Native Land Purchase Board in regard to the purchase of native lands, with the condition that where lands are required for general settlement purposes the recommendation of the Dominion Land Purchase Board is necessary. The Native Land Settlement account, which was established over 20 years ago, primarily as a fund for the purchase and settlement of native lands, will be liquidated in accordance with the Commission's requirements. STATE OF THE FUND.

Sir Apirana Ngata said that the fund had been going from bad to worse. When land was purchased from the natives for general settlement there was a lag between the period of acquisition and the putting of the land on the market, during which interest had to be paid. The practice was for the Consolidated Fund to bear that interest, and when the land was disposed of under the policy of cheap land for settlements the rents were usually at a lower net rate than the rate at which the money for the purchase was borrowed. Allowance had to be made for the payment of thirds and fourths to local bodies and rebates for prompt payment. The result was that the fund went steadily back. About £690,000 of it was expended on the survey of native lands, and of that the natives in various ways, mostly through the disposal of lands, paid off about £400,000. At the beginning of last year there' was owing for native surveys £200,000. Part of that—namely, £116,000 —came under review by the Departments concerned of the land of 1930, mostly in connection with native lands in the Auckland province, where the lands were of low value and outstanding survey liens were out of all proportion to the value of the land. It was accordingly deemed advisable to write off £82,000 principal and interest. The actual loss of loan money was about £45,000, and that was being recouped to the native land settlement account from the Consolidated Fund. That accounted for an increase in the Native Department vote of £SOOO. FUTURE OF OPERATIONS. The liquidation of the native land settlement account necessitates the separation of the fund for the development of native lands from: that account, and the Bill proposes that the finance of future operations shall be made through some account to be nominated by the Minister of Finance. Regarding the surveys, the condition is now laid down that no further surveys of native lands shall be authorised unless the cost of them is deposited or secured to the satisfaction of the chief surveyor of district. This will probably block for 'tome time necessary work in connection *vith che individualisation of native titles.