C.- If

1932. NEW ZEALAND.

NATIVE-LAND DEVELOPMENT. STATEMENT BY THE HON. SIR APIRANA T. NGATA, NATIVE MINISTER.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave.

This statement is in continuation of that presented to both Houses of the General Assembly during the Second Session of 1931, and printed in the Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives as parliamentary paper Gr.-10, 1931. The present statement covers the two financial years 1930-31 and 1931-32, and to some extent overlaps the period traversed by the previous statement. The latter, however, dealt more with general aspects of the Native-land problem, and discussed the historical, sociological, and psychological bases for a policy of settling selected units of the Maori race on land. In the present statement the development schemes that were in operation on the 31st day of March, 1932, are dealt with in detail from their inception, while the fullest possible particulars relating to the lands comprised in each scheme and summarized analyses of the expenditure are set forth in the schedules. In the comments on this mass of data it is pointed out that payments for work done and for material, seeds, and stock supplied during the period under review, and the effective results in enclosed pastures, sheep and cattle, buildings, implements, and equipment assembled in the statement, do not, and cannot in the circumstances, present a complete picture. Payments made up to a conventional date for closing accounts do not show all costs actually incurred to that date, nor are the results calculated or measured in such a way as to enable average costs to be assessed with precision. Over such a wide field of operations and with the amount of detail to be organized the lag in accounting must be allowed for. It is claimed, however, that the facts assembled give evidence of a determined effort by the Maori settlers and by the administration in all its branches to keep costs down to the lowest possible level, and that the self-reliance and enthusiasm of Maori communities and those factors and racial characteristics which were discussed in the first statement, have been fully exploited to that end. The Native Department has concentrated its organization and resources in order to secure material, seeds, manure, and stock at the lowest possible prices having regard to quality. Administration and supervision charges to the State have been reduced to a minimum by the policy of selecting leaders in each Maori community to conduct and inspire their fellow-tribesmen, and by apportioning to schemes a due proportion of overhead costs. The transfer of Consolidation Officers to duties connected with the development schemes, and the increased use of permanent officers of the Department as Supervisors, have made it possible to administer the activities of the numerous and widespread schemes without any great expansion of the staff.

I—G. 10.