G.-^9

2

Native Land Purchase Board. Native land purchased by the Crown amounted to 80,490 acres. The area proclaimed as Crown land was 5,703 acres. Since 1910, 1,513,586 acres of Native land have been acquired through the Native Land Purchase Board, at an aggregate expenditure of £3,435,010. The estimated, area of Native land still owned by Maoris in the North Island is as follows : — Acres. Acres. Estimated as at 31st March, 1929 .. .. .. .. 4,060,402 Sales to Crown .. .. .. .. .. 80,490 Sales to individuals .. .. .. .. ..32,697 113,187 Total .. .. .. .. .. 3,947,215 General. The consolidation schemes are making steady progress. Several interim reports have been received wherein partial schemes were formulated by the Court and approved by the Native Minister, and as soon as the necessary surveys are undertaken the relative orders for completion of the title will be issued by the Court. Reference was made in last year's report to the fact that the Maori Land Boards were doing what they could within their means to give incentive to the Maoris to use and farm the lands owned by them. Legislation passed in 1928 enabled the Boards to undertake the development of limited areas out of the funds under their control. Experience in the far North had shown that much could be done. This experience was, during the past year, applied to the Waikato people who, under the guidance of Te Puea Herangi, took up the scheme with regard to some lands near Waiuku and carried it out with complete success. The results of these efforts have demonstrated that, having the good will of the Maoris as well as their readiness to place their lands at the disposal of the Boards, development work could be carried out upon a much larger scale with a fair hope of success. Legislation was accordingly introduced last year under which the Native Minister could undertake the development of selected areas out of funds provided by the Government for Native-land settlement. The details of the scheme contemplate that the Maoris will supply the land, and also supply labour at a bare sustenance rate, ranging from 6s. to 9s. per day, the Crown, advancing through the Maori Land Board (which supervises the expenditure) the funds necessary for the breaking-in of the land and turning it into several farm sections. These sections will be allocated to such of the workers who have proved themselves capable of becoming farmers. They will be supplied with stock and be then, allowed, still under supervision, to work out their own destiny. The expense of the preparation of the land for settlement and. the cost of the stock will be charged upon the land and must be repaid eventually by the persons receiving the allotments. The first area to be selected for the experiment is known as the Horohoro scheme, and comprises 8,342 acres of pumice land in the Rotorua district adjacent to the Guthrie Settlement. It will be interesting to watch the result. The Maoris concerned are very enthusiastic and are working hard to make it successful; and those who have seen the scheme in operation speak highly of the progress that has been made. Altogether there are now twenty schemes in operation, but perhaps the one that will be the best illustration of the effect upon the Maori mind is the Mohaka scheme, which is in progress on land situate on the road, between Napier and Wairoa, and where the Maoris can be seen working at all hours erecting new fences and putting old ones into order, clearing the blackberry and building cow-sheds, and in addition are busily engaged in breaking in the land to provide feed for dairy stock. Already over 150 dairy cows have been supplied to the Maoris, who are still calling for more stock, so that there is ample evidence that the Maoris are imbued with the right kind of spirit. With all this there is still encouragement being given to the individual Maori to carve out a home and a livelihood for himself. Long-date loans are not favoured. The Maori is encouraged to feel his own feat as soon as possible, so as to make the money that he has made use of again available for other Maoris. Altogether, in spite of lower price levels and financial difficulties, the Maoris are buoyed up with a brighter outlook for the future, and it is hoped that the day will soon arrive when they, with timely assistance, will become sturdy settlers shouldering their share of the common burden in accordance with the opportunities that have been given to them. It is too much to expect that this can happen in the immediate future, neither is it to be expected that every Maori will prove a successful farmer. Every reasonable effort that a Maori makes to utilize his land will, however, be, recognized as an expression of the desire to become useful citizens, and will be a contribution towards the common good. Three Maoris were declared to be Europeans, making a total of seventy-three Europeanized Natives. Two licenses were issued to Native interpreters.