CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17916, 11 January 1930, Page 9

CLOSER SETTLEMENT.

ASSISTING MAORI FARMERS SIR. A. P. NGATA’S VISIT. t Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister for Native Affairs, was a visitor to Te Awamutu on Friday morning, in company with the member for the district, Mr W. J. Broadfoot. The Minster is making an inspection of uie native. lands in the northern part of the King Country, in furtherance of his policy of enabling the Maori people to utilise to advantage their own lands, and if this utilisation is not practicable to assist in making the lands available for pakeha settlement.

Sir Apirana, in an informal chat with a number of town and district residents, said he had been largely responsible for amending legislation being placed on the Statute Book from lime to time that tended to encourage the Maori to take up farming, preferably dairy farming, and he was happy to say that so far the results had been most satisfactory. In the Poverty Bay district there Is a Maoriowned co-operative dairy factory that is supplied with first-class milk and cream from the farms of Maori settiers in the neighbourhood, and the scheme is operating successfully. Ho hoped the enterprise would be the forerunner of other enterprises of a like nature, and where the Maori population was interspersed with white settlers every facility would be given to enable the Maori farmer to farm on the same lines as the white man. lie was much interested to learn that Maori farmers in the Waikato and Northern King Country are playing their part well, and that they aie encouraged by the dairy companies. Mr A. J. Sinclair, secretary of the Te Awamutu Co-operative -Dairy Co., Lid., had told him that nis company has

among its suppliers about 30 natives, ancl in not one ease bad there been trouble in the matter of finance or quality of produce suppfied. He was pleased to hear that, and it would be an encouragement to him and his officers in their task. A Difficulty Eased. He realised that the Maori land legislation is one obstacle to advancement along lines considered essential by the white settlers, such as the liability of co-operative dairy companies to obtain collateral security against loan advances made to Maori suppliers to enable the latter to improve their lands and dairy herds. Hut recent legislation had eased that difficulty, and now Maori Land Boards and the Native Land Trustee were empowered to guarantee dairy companies against loss in approved cases, lie was, on the present tour, seeking information that would enable him to appoint men in some of the centres, such lon, Ngaruawahia, Te Kuiti, and maybe Te Awamutu and Otorohangn, who would act as advisers and instructors to the Maori farmers —men of integrity, farming .experience, and tact, besides having a. knowledge and appreciation of the peculiarities of Maori landholding and commercial rights. Such men as he had in mind were scarce, he knew, tout he hoped to find one in each centre, so that the Maori could go to him, lay difficulties and problems before him, and receive sound advice. The man appointed would be largely relied upon by the Maori Land Board and Native Trustee when asked to financially assist the native farmer. Money Is Scarce. Continuing, Sir Apirana said he knew the Parawera district is a fine one, bright and progressive, and that the natives there, though farming ostensibly the same as their white neighbours, do not pay county rates, but; his job was to determine whether the lands are sufficiently reproductive to enable them to bear the burden of rates without jeopardising the scheme of educating the Maori to become a practical unit in the country’s butterfat production. Parawera, of course, is not

an isolated case —he had merely mentioned that district because of the nearness to Te Awamutu. He had the previous day* been through the Ngutunui district, where there was a large extent of fine country that must in a few years be producing great quantities of. butterfat. He hoped Jeter in the day to see part of the Wharepuhunga block—another area largely comprising Maori land—that had a similar destiny, according to his advisers. Probably development hi those and some other areas would require financial assistance from his Department. That was largely the purpose of his visit.; but he would point out that money is scarce. He could not dip freely into . the Treasury coffers for something that was, after all, largely regarded by some as an experiment, because the co-operative dairy company scheme, successful in one place, had not yet been developed in others. He- was hopeful that results would convince the sceptics, and encourage other Maoris to take up dairy farming on their own lands. Areas not required, or unlikely to be required, could be made available for white settlement through the Maori Land Boards. In this connection, he wanted to say that Judge McCormack, of the Waikato Board, is a very capable officer, with a sympathetic outlook and a keen Insight into the intricacies of Maori land settlement and Maori aspirations, and he was in close touch with the speaker. Matters brought before Judge McCormack would be dealt wth expeditiously, consistent with full investigation, and there would be .no “red tape” or unconscionable delay suoh as some people seem to think is inseparable from a Government undertaking. Should Pool Their Interests. After mentioning that his Department had been' lamentably short of capable officers to carry out the proposals connected with the recent legislation, the Minister stated that the first essential -of the new scheme for settlement of the native land problem Is that the natives should voluntarily pool all their interests, in order that in apportioning the lands anew each individual will receive his share t .

in one place, instead of having man; scattered interests, as at present What had been accomplished in othe: districts would shortly he applied t< the Waikato district. For lack of thi explanatory advice of some fully-in formed member of their race, doubt less quite a number of the Maoris ii this neighbourhood have not realise! the benefits which must accrue ti them from the consolidation of in tcrests and the individualisation o titles. Inseparably connected wit! the settlement problem is that of tin collection of native rates, and thi branch of the 'matter has not beei overlooked. Included in the nativ< holdings are certain areas of lane which would not be suitable fo. farming, but could be used for affores tation or other purposes. It .is proposed that the native owners shoulc transfer these areas to the Government at valuation, and the Department will then arrange with the loca body to pay off accumulated nativi rates to the value of the transferrec land, while the local -body will cance any liens which tfiey may have obtained on the native lands'for nonpayment of rates. } —■ '■.. L n.