Gr.—9.

Investments from Board funds during the year have been principally confined to loans for the erection, purchase, or renovation of houses for Natives, but, in addition, sums were advanced for farming purposes and for the discharge of existing encumbrances. The financial transactions of the Board have been maintained and receipts and payments were respectively £107,192 and £128,377 inclusive of transactions undertaken as agent for the Native Trustee. Assets of the Board at the close of the year were : — £ Cash balances .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,131 Deposits with Native Trustee .. .. .. . . . . 64,524 Mortgages and charges .. .. .. .. .. .. 86,861 Office premises, furniture, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 16,366 The net liability to Native beneficiaries at 31st March, 1941, was £97,664, while specific reserves and reserve funds amounted to £65,400. Native Housing. —In spite of difficulties in acquiring building materials, the available constructional staff has been fully occupied in carrying out the Government's policy of assisting Natives to improve their living-conditions. The Natives are fully alive to and appreciative of the benefits available. Those who have obtained assistance in the past are, in the main, justifying the confidence placed in them by meeting their obligations and generally aspiring to and achieving a standard of living comparable with their pakeha neighbours. Particulars of the work undertaken during the year will be found in the report of the Board of Native Affairs. Maori Welfare Work. —The staff in general and the field officers in particular have continued to interest themselves in a practical manner in matters appertaining to Native welfare. Several helpful conferences have been held with officers of the Health Department and Child Welfare Department. Particular attention has been focussed on the living-conditions of Natives at Ratana Pa, and it is hoped that, with the co-operation of the Maoris resident there, it may be possible to assist the Health Department in its efforts to improve the position. Efforts towards the establishment of a satisfactory water-supply at Putiki Pa by a connection to the City Council service unfortunately did not materialize, principally due to apathy on the part of the residents of the area. The district is the poorer through the loss by retirement of Judge Browne, whose strong personality, sound judgment, and undoubted knowledge and ability have been the principal factors in establishing the Court and Board in its present sound position. At a valedictory function tendered in his honour, spontaneous tribute was paid to Judge Browne from all quarters in recognition of his distinguished and record period of service to the Department and the Maori race. lkaroa and South Island Districts. Native Land Court. —During the past year twenty-seven sittings of the Court were held at centres of Maori population extending from Hastings in the north to Invercargill in the south. Although the return of business shows a slight decrease on the previous year's figures, a substantial increase in orders, other than succession, trustee, and partition, is recorded. This is a good indication of the increasing tendency on the part of the Natives to avail themselves of the Court's assistance in matters affecting their economic, social, educational, and general welfare. Numerous applications for assessment of compensation in respect of land taken for public purposes were disposed of during the year. The Court also dealt with a large number of rate-charging applications, granting remissions of whole or part of the amount outstanding where the circumstances warranted such action being taken. Notwithstanding, it has been the constant policy of the Court and the Maori Land Board to impress upon the Natives on every possible occasion that they are under a definite obligation to the community to pay rates. Assistance is still being rendered to the Lands and Deeds Department in the reconstruction of titles destroyed during the Hawke's Bay earthquake in 1931. Much extra work is involved in the checking and copying of Court orders, together with the preparation of diagrams of the lands concerned. Alienations confirmed by the Court reveal a decrease in the lkaroa District, but show a fairly substantial increase in the South Island. Maori Land Boards.—lt is the policy of the Court to order payment of purchase-money, royalties, and rents from confirmed dealings to be made through the appropriate Board, and this has resulted in a steady increase in the'amount of work involved in the administration of trust funds. In addition to their normal functions, the Boards act as agents for the Native Trustee in collecting and distributing revenue from Native reserves in respect of which the annual rent roll is £16,100. Including this sum, the total amount of rents and royalties collected by both Boards during the year was £37,300. Surplus funds for investment have been used to good advantage in granting loans on mortgage to Natives for farming or housing purposes. At 31st March, 1941, the financial position of the Boards was as follows lkaroa _ South Island £ £ Total receipts .. .. .. .. .. 57,442 12,311 Total disbursements .. .. .. .. .. 56,975 11,694 Mortgage and other investments .. .. ..39,476 7,704 Deposits with Native Trustee .. .. .. .. 15,691 16,828 Cash balances .. .. .. .. .. 4,428 1,695 Liability to Native beneficiaries .. .. .. 53,968 23,310 Reserves .. . . .. .. . . . . 6,268 2,598 Housing. —The office has afforded the Natives every possible assistance in the matter of obtaining suitable building-sites, and to this end has lodged and prosecuted many applications for exchange, partition, and orders under section 20 of the Native Housing Amendment Act, 1938. It has been found possible to provide dwellings for several housing applicants by means of advances from Board and development funds. Owing to the limited amount available in the Special Housing Fund the problem of providing reasonable accommodation for indigent Natives still remains, but, notwithstanding, several loans have been approved in deserving cases.

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