DEPARTMENT OF MAORI AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1948

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1948 Session I, G-09

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1948 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF MAORI AFFAIRS ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1948

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave

The Under-Secretary, Department of Maori Affairs, to the Right Hon. the Minister of Maori Affairs. Department of Maori Affairs, Wellington, 21st July, 1948. Sir, — I have the honour to present the annual report covering the general activities of this Department for the year ended 31st March, 1948. Departmental operations such as Maori Land Development, Maori housing, horticulture, and the rehabilitation of Maori ex-servicemen are dealt with in a special report submitted by the Board of Maori Affairs. I have, &c., G. P. Shepherd, Under-Secretary and Maori Trustee. The Right Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Maori Affairs.

GENERAL The administrative policy of the Department is directed to the general welfare and well-being of the Maori people, and to this end a wide diversity of matters has been dealt with in giving practical effect to that policy. Close co-operation with other Government Departments concerned with general social and economic life has been maintained for the purpose of advancing particular phases of administrative work relating to Maori Affairs. The administration has concentrated upon the amelioration of present livingconditions and the improvement of the general standard of living of the Maori race upon the ground that a good home is the source of all social progress. While endeavouring to consolidate the progress already made in that direction, the Department has also placed its services and those of its individual officers at the disposal of the Maori people in order to promote the welfare of the race whose interests are bound up inextricably with the life of the nation of which they form an integral part and in which they are invited to share in the fullest possible measure. One of the most important instruments in this respect is the welfare whose activities and progress are dealt with later in this report.

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The housing of the Maori people and the development and settlement of their lands are both responsible for a sharp increase in the business of the Maori Land Court in the partitioning of lands or the vesting of suitable areas in individual owners for the purpose of house-sites, and generally invoking the machinery of the Court in clarifying and simplifying land titles for housing and land-development purposes. The Department has made a particular feature of the revival of Maori cultural life and the provision of means for the improvement of the social life of the Maori people. In carrying out the policy of Government in these respects community centres, hostels, and other amenities have been encouraged and assisted financially in some cities and larger towns. The -latest projects in this respect are the Maori Community Centre in Auckland City, where the most gratifying interest in the aims and objects of the institution has been taken by both ♦Maori and pakeha citizens alike. In Rotorua a large guest-house, at present nearing completion, will provide a long-felt want in that town. This enterprise is more particularly referred to later in this report. My general observations have persuaded me that the Maori race are taking advantage of the services provided by the Government and the Department for their general social and economic betterment. They discern the material progress that they will make as a people and as citizens of the Dominion in taking a full part in its social and economic life, and in assuming the rights, duties, and obligations of citizenship with the like opportunities for progress available to the rest of the community. Legislation The principal feature in the Maori Purposes Act, 1947 was the substitution of the term " Maori" for " Native." This change, which affects all statutes, regulations, by-laws, "deeds, and other official documents, has been widely welcomed by the Maori people. The Act also provided for the return of the Mangatu Nos. 1, 3, and 4 Blocks to the Maori owners and for the incorporation of the owners. For a number of years these blocks have been administered by the East Coast Commissioner for the purpose of reducing heavy liabilities which had been incurred in respect of the land. These liabilities having been reduced to reasonable proportions, the time was considered opportune for the revesting of the blocks. A committee of management is now farming the land for the benefit of the incorporated owners. The remainder of the Act was principally concerned with matters of local or departmental significance. Maori Land Claims Following upon the settlement of some of the larger claims in respect of longstanding grievances, the Government has decided to investigate thoroughly a number of other claims which have been outstanding for some considerable time. It is considered that a full examination of the facts of each case by a competent tribunal is the first essential in any endeavour to remove the sense of grievance under which some sections of the Maori people have been suffering. The final settlement of all claims which prove to be justified will be an important factor in the future relationships between the two races. In addition to the surplus-lands claims mentioned in last year's report, several other claims have been referred to the Royal Commission set up under the chairmanship of the Right Hon. Sir Michael Myers, P.C., G.C.M.G., with Mr. Hanara Reedy and Mr. Albert Samuel as members. The position of these inquiries as at the end of the year is set out hereunder, together with a brief note on certain compensation claims in the Taupo district which are to be investigated by Sir Harold Johnston as Commissioner.

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1. Surplus-land Claims After hearing preliminary submissions in Auckland in November. 1946, and February, 1947, the Commission adjourned, and the principal hearing took place in Kaikohe in October last. At the close of the year under review the final hearing had not taken place. The time within which the Commission is required to report its findings has been extended to the 30th June, 1948. 2. Mokau (Manginangina) Block This block, comprising 7,224 acres, was purchased by the Crown from the Maoris in 1859. The claimants contend that the Maoris who sold the land were not the true owners, that the purchase-price was inadequate in view of the quantity of timber on the land, and that the boundaries incorrectly included a neighbouring block. These claims were referred to the Royal Commission in August, 1947, and were inquired into at Kaikohe in October last. The Commission's report has now been completed (see parliamentary paper Gr-2, 1948). 3. West Coast Settlement Reserves These claims relate to large areas of Maori reserves in Taranaki which are administered by the Maori Trustee and which are subject to renewable leases, principally to European settlers. In 1934 some doubt arose as to the method of calculating the value of the owners' interests in the land for the purpose of assessing the rental on renewal of the leases, and in 1935 an amendment was made to the law. The Maori beneficiaries claimed that this amendment has resulted in a considerable loss of income to them by giving xrise to great reductions in the rent payable under renewed leases, and petitions have been presented to Parliament praying for the repeal of the amending legislation. These claims were referred to the Royal Commission in August, 1947, and were investigated at a sitting in Hawera in November last. The report of the Commission has now been completed (see parliamentary paper Gr-1, 1948). 4. Pukeroa Oruawhata Block For some years prior to 1889 this land was administered by the Crown under agreement with the Maori owners. During that time the town of Rotorua was laid out on the block, and numerous leases were granted to settlers. In 1889 the Crown purchased the land from the Maoris. The Maoris have claimed that, owing to the faulty administration of the land by the Crown, they sustained considerable financial losses, and also that the price paid for the land was inadequate. These claims were referred to the Royal Commission in August, 1947, and were investigated in Rotorua in February of this year. The time within which the Commission is to report has been extended to the 30th September, 1948. 5. Mahia Block It is claimed that when the Mahia Block was purchased by the Crown in 1864 the boundaries fixed by survey differed from those agreed upon and included an area of 2,270 acres which had not been sold. This claim was referred to the Royal Commission in August, 1947, and was investigated at Wairoa in March, 1948. The time within which the Commission is to report has been extended to the 30th September, 1948.

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6. Lake Taupo Reserves Compensation In 1926, when any rights which the Maoris may have had to Lake Taupo were ceded to the Crown, provision was made for the reservation of a 1-chain access strip round the edge of the lake, and any persons adversely affected by this reservation were given the right to have their claim investigated by a Commissioner to decide what compensation, if any, should be awarded. A number of such claims have been made from time to time, and a Commissioner has recently been appointed to decide upon the merits of these claims. The preliminary work is now being undertaken in preparation for the hearing of the claims. Administrative Mr. T. T. Ropiha was appointed Assistant Under-Secretary on 14th May, 1947, and brings to the Department a wide experience of practical association with land settlement which will be of considerable value to the Department. This is the first occasion on which this position has been filled by a member of the Maori race. As at 31st March, 1948, the personnel of the Department, including the Chief Judge and six Judges of the Maori Land Court, numbered 607, as compared with 564 at this time in 1947. Details are as follows, the corresponding figure for 1947 being shown in parentheses : Clerical Staff — Permanent .. .. .. 369 (247)\,, Q Temporarv .. .. 50 (173) J Field Staff — * T—y:: :: :: Mflw) The figures show a sharp increase in the field staff. This is accounted for by the setting-up of the Welfare Organization involving the appointment of further Maori Welfare Officers, and also some additional building staff to cover the programme of building operations. The demand for experienced clerical staff is so great that there has been difficulty in securing sufficient trained clerical staff to keep pace with expansion of operations in the field. As at 31st March, 1948, there were 147 permanent and 33 temporary Maori officers on the staff of the Department, making a total of 170, or 28 per cent, of the staff. During the year a large number of Maori and European officers, both clerical and field, were appointed by the Public Service Commission from the temporary staff to the permanent staff. Further appointments from the temporary staff to the permanent staff are still to be made. Maori Interpreters Board op Examiners Fourteen candidates sat for the Maori Interpreters Examination during the year, eight of these being officers on the staff of the Department. Seven of the fourteen candidates qualified for a First Grade Interpreters Licence, of whom four are members of the staff. Of the fourteen who sat the examination, thirteen were Maoris and one a European. It is pleasing to see the interest both Maoris and Europeans are taking in the Maori language, and there are encouraging signs that interest in this branch of Maori culture is reviving. The Maori Interpreters Examination is set at a high standard, and the response from Maori officers of the Department to qualify as Licensed Interpreters and the percentage of passes gained, it is hoped, will encourage still more to enter for the examination.

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MAORI WELFARE Organization and Staffing At the close of the 1946-47 financial year, the first year of the operation of the Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act, 1945, four (4) tribal districts and ninety-five (95) Tribal Committee areas had been proclaimed and gazetted. The Controller was appointed during that year, and the field staff comprised 7 Welfare Officers. Progress was necessarily slow during the period because the Act is not a compulsory measure, and it was policy that the Maori tribes be given plenty of time to discuss its provisions and to decide of their own free will either to accept or reject it. It was necessary also that the Controller should explain the Act personally to the people and indicate to them the type of organization required. This entailed a tour of Maori communities in both Islands with the additional objective of capturing that spirit of enthusiasm and loyalty which was the mauri, or actuating force, in the Maori war effort. It was realized that this spirit guided along proper channels would result in the betterment and further social progress of the race. The year now under review commenced with the preliminary work well advanced and the stage set for the creation of the organization to implement the provisions of the Act. Most tribes had indicated their willingness to come under the Act, and Welfare Officers were appointed to organize them into the same type of grouping as in the Maori war effort organization and to encourage each group to regard itself as a part of a greater organization having for its objective the welfare of the Maori race. During the year the Welfare Division of the Department has been enlarged to meet the expanded activity brought about by the requirements of the Act, and consists to-day of the Controller, an assistant to the Controller, two clerks for administration, and thirty-three Welfare Officers for field-work. However, the field organization is not yet complete, it being necessary to appoint at least three further officers. The Act provides for Tribal Districts and Tribal Committee areas; the former to. be proclaimed by the Governor-General and the latter to be defined under the hand of the Minister of Maori Affairs. As the boundaries of the districts had to be correctly delineated and described for Proclamation, approval of the Tribal Executives and Committees had to await the completion of that action. The Lands and Survey Department has been very helpful in preparing plans and descriptions to enable the Proclamation and gazette notices to issue. The organization of districts and the selection and appointment of Committees have been a priority duty of Welfare Officers, as it was realized that no great progress would be made without the co-operation and support of the people. The progress during this year has been most encouraging. Tribal districts and Tribal Committee areas have now been organized to cover 85 per cent, of the Maori population. The Waikato and Ngati-Porou tribes have stood aloof for various reasons, but the latter tribe has now indicated that it is prepared to organize under the Act. The summary is as follows : Tribal. Districts, Areas. (1) Total number of tribal districts and Tribal Committee areas organized .. .. 60 370 Total proclaimed and gazetted .. .. 41 274 Total awaiting description and gazetting 19 96 60 370

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Tribal. Executives. Committees. (2) Total number of Tribal Committees elected and Tribal Executives formed .. .. 60 370 Executives and Committees approved .. 40 266 Executives and Committees elected and formed but not yet approved .. .. .. 20 104 60 3.70 The Committees as elected are functioning reasonably well, but progress must? necessarily be slow until they acquire a fuller understanding and appreciation of their duties and functions. The Welfare Officer of the district has been appointed to the' Executives and Committees by the Minister as required under the Act, and thus official personal contact is maintained at all times between the Department and the representatives of the Maori people. It is hoped to have the whole Dominion completely organized within the next six months. The foundation will then be laid and the rightful avenue created for the. effective implementation of the policy enunciated and implied in the Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act. Even at this early stage the Maori people are beginning to look upon the organization as their own, to control as a form of self-expression,, direction, and, up to a point as set out in the Act, a measure of local self-government, in matters affecting living-conditions, housing, health, and general welfare. Welfare Zones To obviate overlapping in the duties of Welfare Officers, zones of operations have--been created with a male Welfare Officer in charge of each zone. Female Welfare Officers cover one or more of these zones to assist the male officer in matters affecting the female population and to organize the Maori women into active units of the community to work out local schemes of welfare for the benefit of the women and children. There are twenty-two zones throughout the Dominion. W»rk of Welfare Officers The primary duty of Welfare Officers is to ensure that the tribal organizations set up under the Act are functioning regularly, smoothly, and efficiently, and to the extent that they are so functioning will purposes of the Act be more effectively applied and problems become more easy of solution. The Tribal Executives, the Tribal Committees, and the Welfare Officers must develop proposals and plans for the advancement of the people. They are at liberty to approach all State Departments in mattersaffecting the Welfare of the Maori people ; to assist those Departments or to seek assistance from them. They are not appointed for the purpose of policing the Maori people, but are available to assist the Tribal Committees in their work and to act as the liaison between them and State Departments or those responsible for governmental activities. Much of the work requires the exercise of judgment and plain common-sense and so instructions issued to Welfare Officers covering their activities were of a general nature giving an outline of the policy, aim, objects, and the general activities in the physical,, economic, educational, social, and moral fields of Maori welfare.

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The types of work arising out of the necessities of the people and recorded by Welfare Officers are as follows : {a) Accommodation Placing of workers in lodgings and finding board and lodgings for the overflow from hostels. Accommodation for the transient Maori public. Board and lodgings for students and public servants. (b) Child-welfare . Cases referred to the Child Welfare Branch of the Education Department and assisting in their solution. (c) Employment Cases referred to National Employment Service for Employment or otherwise placed in employment. (d) Education Checking on the general progress of Maori pupils, arranging boarding-allowances for country pupils, and referring cases for scholarships to Education Department. Acting as liaison between school authorities and parents in regard to complaints re delinquency, dress, and lunches for children. Educational talks with Tribal Committees, (e) Health (1) Maintaining close contact with Maori communities and bringing to the notice of the appropriate authorities Maori requirements in regard to health, sanitation, and water-supplies. (2) Organizing Maori communities into local organizations through which health reforms and measures may be implemented and maintained. (3) Promoting a spirit of co-operation with health nurses and Inspectors and inducing the acceptance and practical application of measures for health, sanitation, and hygiene. {/) Hospital Visits Visiting sick Maoris in hospitals. (g) Housing Investigations of housing conditions, preparation of applications for State houses and houses under the Maori Housing Act. Investigating and reporting on housing applications. (h) Interviews and Advice These cover every aspect of welfare work and take up a great deal of an officer's time in the office, in the field, and even at home. Maoris are encouraged to bring their problems to Welfare Officers and to discuss them without reserve. (i) Meetings Tribal Committee meetings and meetings of organized groups where matters affecting Maoris are discussed. Welfare Officers are also instructed to attend important Maori gatherings within their zones so as to keep in touch with the pulse of Maori activities.

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(j) Maori Land Court Proceedings Preparing data for housing subdivisions and assisting the Court in the preparation of housing schemes. Arranging and prosecuting applications for succession, partition, adoption, and trusteeship of Maori children. (Jc) Moral Welfare Supervision of moral welfare is necessary mainly in the cities and seaports where the opportunities for delinquency are present. Occasionally Welfare Officers, in co-operation with the police, visit ships in the harbours and houses of doubtful reputation. Often girls are picked up by the police and are referred to Welfare Officers, who either send them home or escort them back to their homes and parents. (I) Police and Cowt Proceedings Welfare Officers keep in close touch with the police and officers of the Magistrate's Court in regard to Maori offenders or those who appear to have no visible means of support. Welfare Officers appear in Court or arrange for counsel to appear in appropriate cases, and they also work in close co-operation with Probation Officers. Arrangements have been made with prison authorities to advise Welfare Officers of Maoris being released, so that they can be contacted and assisted as may be necessary. (m). Rehabilitation Close contact is maintained with the Rehabilitation Department and ex-servicemen in regard to housing accommodation, trade training, bursaries, and farming and business loans. (n) Social and Recreation Activities under this heading embrace the organization of Maori social and recreational clubs, sports clubs, and other activities which cater for the leisure-hours of the people, and particularly the youth of the race. Welfare Officers encourage membership of these clubs and participation by the young people in healthy forms of sport and recreation. With competent instructors, Maori arts and crafts could be revived through social clubs or any type of organization where the young people get together for social or recreational enjoyment. (o) Social Security Assisting the Social Security Department in the investigation of cases where there is any complaint as to the proper application of benefit-moneys. (p) Staff Visits The Maori worker, whether male or female, prefers to work in pairs or groups. Thus Maori pairs or groups are frequently found employed in domestic service, factories, freezing-works, public works, and motor-engineering concerns. Visits are made periodically by Welfare Officers to meet the Maori workers and their employers and discuss their difficulties and problems. (q) Vocational Guidance This aspect of a Welfare Officer's duties is becoming increasingly important. The Welfare Officer must see that the case of every boy and girl of school leaving age is brought under the notice of the Vocational Guidance Officer for placement, and of the National Employment Service for employment.

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(r) Miscellaneous This group covers all cases not specified under definite headings and they are as complicated as they are varied. Cases of sickness, waywardness, absenteeism from work, deaths and burials, affiliation, crippled children, and missing persons, are brought to the notice of Welfare Officers. Rail, motor, and steamer bookings are frequently arranged for the travelling Maori public. The volume of the work done under each of the foregoing headings is as follows : Accommodation .. .. 570 Maori Land Court proceedings .. 436 Child-welfare .. .. .. 1,138 Moral welfare .. .. 329 Domestic disputes .. .. 244 Placements .. .. .. 409 Employment .. .. .. 1,281 Police and Court proceedings .. 648 Education .. .. .. 1,000 Rehabilitation .. .. 1,152 Health .. .. .. 1,124 Social and recreational .. 429 Hospital visits .. .. 431 Social security .. .. 1,911 Housing .. .. .. 2,922 Staff visits .. .. .. 301 Interviews and advice .. 15,130 Vocational guidance .. .. 291 Maternity .. .. .. 37 Welfare: general .. .. 7,133 Meetings —(a) Tribal .. .. 912 (b) Others .. .. 862 Grand total .. .. 38,690 Voluntary Organizations (1) Maori Clubs There are various Maori associations and clubs functioning throughout New Zealand with more or less the same objectives. While most of the clubs confine their activities to the social and cultural side of Maori life, many of them undertake welfare work and sporting and recreational activities. In this latter category are the Taiporutu Club of Rotorua, the Kiwi Club of Gisborne, the Ngati-Poneke Association of Wellington, the Te Aroha Association of the Hutt Valley, and the Otautahi Association of Christchurch. The revival of Maori arts and culture is possible through these organizations, and if competent instructors could be appointed to organize a uniform syllabus of instruction much good would result. The fostering of an esprit de corps within each club or association is very important to-day, when the youth of the race-is facing the future with more self-confidence. Little has been done towards co-ordinating the activities of these organizations with those of Tribal Committees and Tribal Executives. Although most of these bodies are represented on the tribal organizations it was felt that the approach should come voluntarily from them. Tribal Committees and Executives can be of great assistance in encouraging the establishment of such organizations. (2) Women's Health League Maori women have for many years associated themselves with pakeha women's organizations such as the women's institutes, but perhaps the most popular organization with the Maori women of to-day is the Women's Health League. The movement started in Rotorua, under the inspiration and direction of the then District Nurse, Miss Cameron, with the encouragement and personal support of the late Mrs. Janet Fraser and of Miss Lambie, Director of the Nursing Division of the Health Department. Later it was extended to Tauranga, Waihi, Auckland, and the Tuwharetoa District from Taupo to Taumarunui. Since the appointment of Welfare Officers, League branches have been formed in Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, Taranaki, and North Auckland. There are about sixty branches now established, and approximately half of these have

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been promoted by the Welfare Officers. These organizations are performing most useful work in the homes of the Maori people and have accomplished much in the interests of Maori women and children. In some districts great impetus has been given to the revival of the arts of weaving and plaiting and other crafts of the Maori. In addition to the whole-hearted support of the Health Department through the Director of the Nursing Division and the Health Nurses, the League has also received encouragement and support from the Department of Maori Affairs. A guest-house for the Maori people, promoted by the League and assisted by the Department, is now in the course of erection at Rotorua. The guest-house will fulfil a long-felt requirement of those Maori people who go to Rotorua to visit sick relatives in the hospital, or to takea course of treatment in the thermal waters of the district. In the Taranaki district in particular the Health Leagues are closely allied to the Tribal organizations set up under the Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act, thus forming a very important avenue for promoting the purposes and objects of the Act. Hostels With the encouragement and financial support of the Department, various social organizations in Auckland have established a number of hostels for the accommodation of Maori boys and girls who are required to go to that city for education or employment. The buildings in three instances were purchased by the Department from Maori Trust Funds, while two are owned by Christian organizations but assisted in their establishment from departmental funds. At Wellington the Department has purchased and is conducting the Pendennis Maori Girls' Residential Club. A total of 137 girls and 36 boys are boarding in these establishments, and these represent a small percentage of the number who could be employed in the cities if sufficient accommodation of a suitable nature were available. The following table shows how these boarders are employed : Attending schools and colleges .. .. 35 Attending training colleges .. .. .. .. 13 (3) Attending the University .. .. .. .. 2 Employed in restaurants and domestic duties .. .. 47 (8) Employed in factories .. .. .. 54 (8) Employed in shops and offices .. .. .. 22 (20) Total .. .. .. .. .. 173 The Wellington figures are shown in brackets. Conference The conference of Welfare Officers held in Wellington during the month of March this year was important from the point of view of administration. The organization and functions of each division of the Department were fully explained and discussed and gave the Welfare Officers a better appreciation of their own work and its relation to the other activities of the Department. Various State Departments responsible for certain aspects of Maori administration were invited to address the conference to bring about a better understanding of their functions and closer co-operation between the work of those Departments and the activities performed by the Welfare Officers. It was felt that conferences of this nature will tend to better understanding, more efficient administration, and more devoted and enthusiastic promotion of the beneficial principles and objectives of the welfare organization.

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MAORI TRUSTEE A partial decentralization of vested reserves to the Registrars of the Maori Land Courts at Wellington and Wanganui which took place some years ago has now been followed by complete decentralization in terms of section 3 of the Maori Purposes Act, 1945, and in September, 1947, delegation to the respective Registrars at Wellington, Wanganui, Rotorua, Gisborne, and Auckland was effected. With some limitations, all the powers, functions, and duties of the Maori Trustee conferred or imposed by any statute, deed, will, or other instrument have been delegated, subject to the direction, supervision, and control of the Maori Trustee. By reason of centralized control the activities of the Maori Trustee had been confined principally to the Wellington Province and adjacent districts, but the establishment of a more widespread organization should make available to the Maori people in all districts the facilities provided for them under the Maori Trustee Act, 1930. This wilt also enable the departmental officers concerned to make personal contact with, and to gain a closer knowledge of the beneficiaries, which should result in better service to them. While it is still too early to gauge the increase in business following decentralization, it is noted that 139 new estates were accepted to 31st March, the total number under administration at that date being 1,405. Mortgage Investments The sum of £326,034 from the Common Fund is invested in mortgage securities and stations controlled by the Maori Trustee (further reference to this having been made in parliamentary paper, Gr-10). Much Maori land is to-day subject to Part lof the Maori Land Amendment Act, 1936, and finance for farming purposes under that Act is provided by the Board of Maori Affairs. However, some eighteen advances on mortgage were granted by the Maori Trustee during the year ended 31st March, 1948, principally for the farming or housing purposes of Maori borrowers. The majority of these loans were made to Taranaki people, where the Maori Trust Office is better known by virtue of its control of the West Coast Settlement Reserves. Maori Reserves Those valuable lands reserved to the Maori people under the Maori Reserves Act and the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act and vested in the Maori Trustee, comprise— Acres. West Coast Settlement Reserves (Taranaki) .. .. 72,000 Greymouth (Town) .. .. .. .. .. 500 North Island Tenths (Wellington City) .. .. .. 38 Palmerston North (City) .. .. .. .. 71 South Island Tenths (Nelson City and Motueka) .. .. 4,200 Other North Island Reserves .. .. .. .. 4,000 Other South Island Reserves .. .. .. .. 13,500 The Trust imposed on the Maori Trustee is an important one, and the heritage which the beneficial owners have had handed down to them should be carefully preserved. The annual rent roll approaches £50,000, and much consideration has been given in the past year to the assessment of the owners' interest in respect of leased lands so that the full rental value will be available to them.

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FINANCES The following table summarizes the financial transactions of the Department during the year :

Brief Analysis of Consolidated Fund Payments, less Receipts General departmental administration, salaries, travelling-expenses, £ purchase of equipment, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 273,706 Less £ Recoveries from Maori Trustee and Maori Land Boards .. 19,581 Miscellaneous recoveries .. .. .. .. 4,311 Court fees .. .. .. .. .. .. 7,070 30,962 Net cost of administration . . .. .. .. .. 242,744 Protection of Maori land .. .. .. .. .. .. 19,271 Grants for Maori purposes .. .. ~ .. .. .. 170,829 432,844 Civil List .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,862 Special Acts .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 27,000 £466,706 DISTRICT OFFICES Tokerau and Waikato-Manlapoto (Auckland District) Approximately one-third of the Maori population of the Dominion is located within the borders of these two districts, which also contain within their boundaries New Zealand's largest city. As a consequence, almost every phase of Maori life comes within the ambit of the Department's operations.

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— Total Payments. 1 j Total Receipts. Consolidated Fund— £ £ Civil List (Maori Purposes) 6,862 Special Acts : Payments in respect of confiscated 27,000 lands (Arawa, Ngaitahu, Taranaki, and WaikatoManiapoto) Vote, " Maori Affairs " 463,806 Recoveries from Maori Trustee, Maori Land 23,892 Boards, and miscellaneous receipts Court fees 7,070 Sub-totals 497,668 30,962 Land for Settlement Account: Maori land settle1,195,452 1,237,729 ment and housing Total, State funds 1,693,120 1,268.691 Maori Trust and Maori Land Boards 1,152,260 1,143,652

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Increased industrial activity in and around Auckland has liad the effect of attracting to the city a large Maori population, and, as the present accommodation is not sufficient to meet the increase, it has become one of the Department's major problems in this area to attend to the housing and other needs of the people. The Welfare Branch, a report upon which appears in another section of this statement, has been very active in endeavouring to rectify the position and to house and accommodate the Maoris under conditions best calculated to be of advantage to them. To this end five hostels have been secured and are now being operated by various organizations and institutions, and steps have been taken to answer the demand for a recreational and cultural centre which will form a rallying-ground for Maori community life in the city where the people may meet under the most congenial conditions. A number of State houses are also being made available for Maori residents of the city and its environs. The delegation by the Maori Trustee of the administration of trust estates has been a move in the right direction. It has enabled a considerable number of old estates to be wound up, has accelerated administration, and has brought beneficiaries and those responsible for caring for their affairs very much closer together, with obvious advantages to the beneficiaries and the Maori Trust Office alike. It is certain that decentralization will enable the Maori Trustee to improve his service to the Maori people. The volume of work of the Maori Land Court shows no signs of diminishing, but, on the contrary, the desire of the Maori people to utilize their lands for farming and other purposes has created a need to bring the title position of their lands up to date. This has naturally affected the work of the Court, which has also continued to maintain a close watch upon the interests of Maori owners when considering all transactions affecting their lands, especially alienations by sale or lease. Seventeen sittings of the Waikato-Maniapoto Court were held during the year, while sixteen sittings of the Tokerau District Court were held. The number of cases notified for hearing was the highest recorded since 1938. The Maori Land Boards continued to receive and disburse substantial revenues on behalf of Maori beneficiaries, being, in the main, rents and the proceeds of other alienations of land. Where funds are held by the Boards under the provisions of section 281 of the Maori Land Act, 1931, every effort is made to disburse the moneys as quickly as possible. There has been some tendency for illegal dealings in respect of timber on Maori land to increase. This may be due to the national shortage, and statutory powers to check it have been invoked on several occasions. Waiariki (Rotorua District) The Department's activities in this district have not diminished to any extent. There is a consistent endeavour to break new ground for the purpose of adding something that will be of assistance to the Department in its services to the Maori race. The establishment of a general works and training centre at Rotorua, comprising facilities for the manufacture of joinery, roofing-tiles, concrete products, and fibrous plaster is being continued. The centre also comprises a timber-yard for the handling, machining, and distribution of timber for operations over the major part of the district. At the work centre every attention is to be given to the training of Maoris in such trades as joinery, furniture-making, glazing, timber handling and working, plumbing, painting, and the manufacture of roofing-tiles and concerte products. The advantages of such a project are twofold —firstly, a field will be opened for the training of Maori youths in the various trades mentioned, and, secondly, provision will be made for an enterprise by which the progress of Maori housing can be accelerated.

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The policy of decentralizing the administration of trust estates which was effected in September, 1947, is working satisfactorily. Estates under administration as at 31st March, 1948, were : deceased persons, 45 ; minors, 88 ; mental patients, 23 ; convicts, 2. In addition, interim administration is being carried out in the case of a large number of estates for which executors or administrators have not yet been appointed. Twenty-one sittings of the Court were held during the year, with adjournments to several centres. These adjournments were necessary, mainly owing to the large number of applications by the Board of Maori Affairs for recommendations regarding the occupation of scheme lands and housing matters. In all, 2,715 cases were notified for hearing, this number representing a slight decrease on last year's figures ; the number of orders made, however, indicates that the business of the Court is being maintained. The collection of Maori rates continues to be satisfactory, a total of £5,475 being received during the year. A shortage of trained staff has created some delay in consolidation work. Recent efforts have been concentrated on the Koutu scheme, and a portion of this scheme has been completed and details are now being prepared for confirmation. On completion of the Koutu scheme it is proposed to proceed with the Taheke, Ngati-Manawa, Parekarangi, and Matapipi schemes. The farming property known as Levin's, at Rotoiti, was acquired by the Maori Land Board in terms of section 105 of the Maori Land Act, 1931. This property, which has an area of 1,172 acres, of which 390 acres are freehold and the remainder leasehold, is eighteen miles from Rotorua and produced 532 lambs and 51 bales of wool in the 1947-48 season. Activity on the farming and camping project on the shores of Lake Rotoiti has been continued, and at the end of the year a total of 10 acres had been drained by means of the automatic pump installed during the previous year. Milk and fruit sales to campers, &c., reached £695 for the year. Wide use has been made of the Board's tractors and farm implements, and these have played a big part in the production drive. As much as 600 acres of maize, 350 acres of kumara, and 80 acres of potatoes were planted in the Tauranga district with the aid of this machinery. A considerable amount of cultivating, harvesting, and road-work was also undertaken on the development schemes in the district. The range of implements available has resulted in practically all the cultivation, planting, harvesting, and transport of crops being undertaken by the Board in some localities. Several areas of previously waste land in heavy gorse and manuka have been crushed with an angle dozer and later burnt. This land will be cultivated and planted in maize next year. There was no let-up in the primary production drive, and this was continued with increasing vigour. Approximately 18,000 bushels of maize were marketed by the Board, despite the fact that a smaller area had been planted than in the previous year. The district, and particularly the Tauranga area, has been a distributing centre for its own produce, which has been sent to all parts of the North Island. Potatoes, onions, pumpkins, and 10,000 water-melons, amounting to over £lO,OOO in value, have been distributed. The Board debt owing on Tihiotonga Station has been further reduced by £10,509. Tairawhiti (Gtsborne District) Activity in this district has continued at a high level. While the lands in this district lend themselves more to sheep-farming, a large number of Maoris are seeking a livelihood in such undertakings as horticulture, and, with a view to assisting as much as possible, supervision, general instruction, and practical demonstrations are arranged by the Department's horticulturist.

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There were twenty-one sittings of the Court during the year, with five sittings of "the Appellate Court. One outstanding feature of the work of the Court was the number ■of partition orders made. The reason for the increase was the necessity to obtain and to clarify titles to sites by those contemplating the building of homes. The business of the Court shows an increase in all types of orders over the last few years, the cases notified "being the highest since 1941. The number of succession orders has continued fairly -constant for a number of years, but the number of other orders has decreased over the past ten years, the sharpest decline being in the number of charging-orders. Rates collected showed an appreciable result, the percentage in one county being "97-3. Although the percentage in the Wairoa County was only 51, nevertheless it compares very favourably with the 22 per cent, collected five years ago. It is considered that most of the outstanding rates are owing on unoccupied and uneconomic holdings. The Board has continued its normal function of collecting rentals on behalf of Maori owners of land leased and distributing the rentals to the beneficiaries entitled thereto. The Board has recently undertaken the administration of a large number of receivership orders granted by the Court in respect of rate-charging orders in the Uawa County. In addition to the three stations mentioned in last year's report, which have all had a very satisfactory season, the Board has during the course of the year, at the request of the Maori owners, bought out the lessee of the Ohuia Blocks, near Wairoa, and is now farming Ohuia Station, comprising 2,403 acres, on behalf of the owners. The results of the first season's operations are encouraging, and if proposed drainage schemes can be put into effect much land now subject to periodic flooding can be brought to a high state of production and usefulness. The administration of thirteen stations on behalf of the Maori Trustee has been •continued. With a continuance of high prices for wool and meat satisfactory returns have been obtained, and there will be in most cases a corresponding reduction in the indebtedness to the Maori Trustee. Two stations, however, are believed to be uneconomic, and the question of their disposal is under consideration. The Board's investments on mortgage security of Maori lands have been increased by over £4,000 during the year. The majority of these advances have been made for the purpose of assisting the farming operations of Maori farmers. The Board has been fortunate in acquiring the library of the late Mr. H. R. H. Balneavis, a former Private Secretary of the Minister of Maori Affairs, and has since also acquired a valuable collection of books from Mr. J. H. Cato. With the addition of other books, the Board now owns a very valuable and informative library of books on the early history of New Zealand, the Maori and Maori customs, &c. The whole collection is to be known as the Balneavis Memorial Library. Donations from Board funds during the year totalled £l2l, specific donations being:— £ s. d. Contributions to cost of revision of the Maori Bible .. .. 50 0 0 Donation towards Whakarua Memorial Hall .. .. .. 50 0 0 Donation to Gisborne District Health Camp .. .. .. 10 10 0 Donation to the New Zealand Tuberculosis Association .. 10 10 0 £l2l 0 0 The recently decentralized estates administration has resulted in more frequent personal contact with beneficiaries in the various estates and at the same time has enabled a speedier and more personal service to those who in the past were unable to travel to Wellington to discuss their business affairs.

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At 31st March the estates under administration were — Minors .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 Deceased persons .. .. .. .. 19 Convicts .. .. .. .. 9 Mental patients .. .. .. .. .. 59 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 6 Total .. .. .. .. ..129 New estates accepted for administration since decentralization to 31st March were— Minors .... .. .. .. 13 Deceased persons .. .. .. .. 8 Convicts .. .. .. .. 5 Mental patients .. .. .. .. 7 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. 6 Total .. .. .. ..39 The amount outstanding at the end of the financial year in respect of advances made by the Maori Trustee on the security of lands in this district was £95,265. The repayment of principal sums during the year amounted to a total of £8,813. One hundred and two war-service-gratuity accounts were vested in the Maori Trustee for administration, and approximately half of these have not been drawn upon by the beneficiaries, whilst the remainder, for the most part, have been drawn upon to provide school clothing, books, and requisites for children. Every assistance is given to the widows and orphans of deceased servicemen. The District Judge and Registrar are both members of the local " Heritage " committee, and their specialized local knowledge is of advantage to the Committee in its operations. The services of the District Welfare Officers are also available to " Heritage " Committees. Aotea (Wanganui District) While the usual activities of the Department have been continued during the year under review, emphasis has been laid on improving the value of the land in the district. With this object a programme of roading improvements has been carried out which will give better access to many properties and result in their general efficiency being increased. Extensive tree-planting has also been attempted and action taken to prevent further erosion by the Tongariro and Rangitikei Rivers. There has been considerable activity in the Tangariro timber areas in the direction of opening up timber lands by and on behalf of the owners who have been incorporated under the provisions of Part XVII of the Maori Land Act, 1931. Committees of management have been set up in fourteen instances, and representatives from each body have voluntarily formed an Advisory Committee (with the assistance of a representative of the Maori Land Board and the State Forest Service) to arrange for a regulated sales plan and for the zoning of areas for output purposes. The methods of exploitation provide for the milling of limited areas by existing established sawmillers, the felling and sale of logs by and on behalf of the incorporated owners, and the establishment of sawmills ultimately to be acquired and operated by the owners should they so elect. The operations of the Puketapu 3a Incorporation have been satisfactorily maintained, and the initial logging operations have been extended to cover active sawmilling by the purchase of an established mill. This will ensure a source of supply for Maori housing purposes generally and will enable the Maoris associated with the venture to demonstrate their ability in the business world.

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A Royal Commission was set up in August, 1947, for the purpose of inquiring into and reporting on the operation of the law relating to the assessment of rentals under leases of the West Coast settlement reserves in Taranaki. A total of 474 leases, comprising an area of 71,643 acres, were involved in the investigations, which affect some 4,272 Maori beneficial owners in the reserves. The Commission has now reported its findings. In addition to thirteen ordinary sittings of the Court during which over two thousand cases were notified for hearing, a special sitting was held at Jerusalem, on the Wanganui River, for the purpose of arriving at a mutually satisfactory method of dealing with the housing problem in the settlement. As a result, arrangements have been finalized for the construction of houses and the provision of suitable water and sanitary schemes. The alteration in the level of Lake Taupo has injuriously affected certain lands bordering on the lake, and, in accordance with the Lake Taupo Compensation Claims Act, 1947, a Special Compensation Court was set up for the purpose of hearing various claims for compensation for loss arising out of the alteration in the lake-level. This Court held sittings at Rotorua, Tokaanu, and Taupo in October and November, 1947, when a total of 404 claims were dealt with. Of these, 163 claims affecting the Aotea district were withdrawn, 17 were rejected, and 89 were settled by agreement between the parties. Compensation amounting to £35,800 was awarded, and of this, £26,105 representing compensation in respect of Maori land in the Aotea district has been paid to the Board on behalf of the claimants. Decentralization of the work of the Maori Trust Office has been responsible for an increase in the work of the Office and the administration of approximately four hundred estates was transferred during the year. The leasing and control of the West Coast Settlement Reserves and the distribution of rents on behalf of the Maori Trustee is an important function. Regular inspections of lands leased or mortgaged are carried out and a full time field officer has been assigned to this important work. A grant of £lO 10s. was made towards the funds of the Tuberculosis Association. Ikaroa (Wellington District) and South Island An area of land in Otaki, 4 acres in extent, is being used for the purpose of establishing a nursery from which Maori market-gardeners may draw supplies of flower and vegetable plants, fruit and shelter trees, &c., for the purpose of supplying the ready vegetable and flower markets near at hand. In the Hutt Valley a number of houses are being erected atWaiwhetu for those people who were displaced when the land there was taken for housing, and some of these homes are now ready for occupation. There were seventeen sittings of the Court in the Ikaroa district and ten in the South Island district, and also three sittings of the Appellate Court. The Court returns indicate that in the Ikaroa district there was a sharp increase in work during the year. In the South Island district the number of cases notified for hearing was the largest since separate records have been kept. Numerous partition orders and vesting orders under section 7 of the Maori Purposes Act, 1941, were made for the purpose of providing housing sites for those requiring homes. The Maori Land Board has purchased a D 4 Caterpillar tractor for use on development schemes, and this machine is hired out as required for development purposes. Three grants of timber-cutting rights, involving an area of 1,166 acres in the South Island district, have been granted.

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Following the decentralization of trust estates, the numbers and classes of estates remaining for administration in the Wellington district are — Minors .. .. .. .. .. .. 394 Deceased persons .. .. .. 66 Convicts .. .. .. .. .. 12 Mental patients .. .. .. .. 38 Trusteeships .. .. .. .. .. 9 Receiverships and miscellaneous .. .. 58 Total .. .. .. .. .. 577 Funds held at 31st March, 1948 in the above accounts amounted to £71,734. In addition, sixty-six accounts were open comprising balances of rents held for deceased persons and untraced beneficiaries, with a total of £lO2 at credit. The following table shows the movement of estates during the year : Accepted for Administration Administration. Completed. Minors .. .. .. .. .. 21 55 Deceased persons .. .. .. 10 38 Convicts .. .. .. .. 1 Mental patients .. .. .. 2 1 Receiverships and miscellaneous .. 2 6 36 100 The Taueki Consolidation Scheme in the Horowhenua district, comprising an area of 1,000 acres and valued at £23,550, was completed during the year.

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TABLE A.—SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION OF MAORI TRUSTEE AND DISTRICT MAORI LAND BOARDS AS AT 31st MARCH, 1948

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. — Tokerau. WaikatoManiapoto. Waiariki. Tairawhiti. Aotea. Ikaroa. South Island. Sub-total (including Maori Trust Branches). Maori Trust (Head Office). Grand Total. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Total receipts 77,123 86,179 131,645 200,911 234,850 81,987 15,765 828,460 315,192 1,143,652 Total payments 79,574 93,119 130,448 202,097 172,126 77,751 15,206 770,321 381,939 1,152,260 Cash balances 8,090 3,957 6,247 5,606 4,273 5,022 959 34,154 7,256 41,410 Investments — On deposit with Maori Trustee 27,573 83,416 68,539 13,949 180,000 42,227 12,088 427,792 427,792 Government securities 22,865 20,725 49,065 90,725 69,900 37,615 10,712 301,607 536 j 830 838,437 Mortgages 17,050 31,037 41,770 148,073 160,730 23,090 4,290 426,040 131,678 557,718 Farming properties and primary 23,328 63,995 97,774 7,404* 500 178,193 35,884 214,077 production Amounts held for Maori 58,447 167,120 144,973 128,352 348,541 100,829 25,229 973,491 72,565 1,046,056 beneficiaries Reserves — Assurance and Reserve Fund .. 12,966 10,971 12,714 53,223 7,762 2,039 99,675 116,426 216,101 Special 26,421 67,785 65,628 24,825 3,572 1,588 189,819 6,538 196,357 * Credit item,

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TABLE B.—RETURN OF ALIENATIONS CONFIRMED FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1948

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Court District. Loe New Leases. tses. Renewals. Timber-cutting Rights. Sales. Mortgages. To Europeans. To Maoris. To Europeans. To Maoris. To Europeans. To Maoris. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. No. Area. Tokerau Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. 3 242 1 28 8 296 11 472 808 Waikato -Maniapot o 24 3,009 6 142 3 1,854 43 1,761 68 14 Waiariki .. 14 384 7 549 5 17 6 3,556 8 4 88 Tairawhiti 19 837 25 2,476 13 215 16 55 16 218 4 1,615 Aotea 52 2,493 17 2,969 21 617 3 268 7 426 7 425 Ikaroa 75 5,672 17 1,362 13 487 10 174 1 481 South Island 4 362 3 lji66 2 15 2 5 Totals 191 12,999 73 7,526 39 849 15 6,844 97 3,108 64 2,190 5 2,096

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TABLE C.—RETURN OF MAORI LAND COURT BUSINESS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1948

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Totals. Tokerau. WaikatoManiapoto. Waiariki. Tairawhiti. Aotea. Ikaroa. South Island. 1946-47. 1947-48. Maori Land Court Number of sittings Number of cases notified Number of cases for which orcters made Number of cases dismissed Number of cases adjourned sine die Number of partitions made Number of investigations of title (including confirmations) Area affected (acres) Number of succession orders made Number of other orders made Maori Appellate Court Number of sittings Number of cases notified Maori Land Court decisions varied Maori Land Court decisions affirmed Maori Land Court decisions referred back to Maori Land Court Maori Land Court decisions annulled Appeals dismissed or withdrawn .. Appeals adjourned sine die Applications under section 257/31 ordered Applications under section 257/31 dismissed Orders made under section 363 .. Court and Board fees collected .. 129 17,050 5,310 1,855 10,440 680 4,115 6 10 3 1 3 2 1 £ 4,585 119 18,487 6,207 1.338 10,942 624 5^236 3.339 11 27 4 2 2 1 15 3 1 £ 5,800 16 1,961 443 131 1,387 60 i4i 242 1 1 1 £ 816 17 2,383 770 234 1,379 65 568 137 1 1 1 £ 946 24 2,715 1,022 208 1,485 202 401 £ 1,028 21 3,932 1,759 257 1,916 221 1,426 1,605 5 18 2 1 1 1 11 1 1 £ 990 14 2,129 618 270 1,241 23 1454 306 1 2 1 1 1 £ 1,302 17 4,344 1,290 171 2,883 37 650 603 3 5 3 2 £ 505 10 1,023 305 67 651 16 244 46 £ 213

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TABLE D.—MAORI LAND PURCHASE OPERATIONS FROM 1st APRIL, 1947, TO 31st MARCH, 1948: BLOCKS PROCLAIMED CROWN LAND

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (823 copies), £52 10s.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington. —1948,

Price 9d.]

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Block. Area. Gazette. A. R. P. Section 63, Araroa Maori Township Oil 26/6/47 Waituhi-Kuratau 1b 761 2 15 30/10/47 Rotoiti 3t .. 581 2 7 11/3/48