G.—9

the Board's receipts at the high level of recent years. Considerable attention is paid to the best possible utilization of moneys held on behalf of Maori beneficiaries under the protective provisions of section 281 of the Native Land Act, 1931. Funds not otherwise required by beneficiaries have assisted the Dominion's war effort a further sum of £18 000 having been invested in the current year, bringing the total investments in the war loans, including specific investments on behalf of beneficiaries, to over £67,000. General Maori Welfare While in the course of general administration all officers have endeavoured to assist and foster pro]ects aimed at Maori welfare and betterment, efforts have been restricted in the past by the lack of appropriate personnel charged with this immediate responsibility ; the. recently created Welfare Division a * h ?,? e P» rtme ? t l "Jl now remcd 7 this - The scope of activities and the field available gives promise that this phase of the Department's activities may well make a. milestone in the progress of the development of the Maori race towards social and economic self-sufficiency. With good will and co-operation on the part of the Maori himself, this objective can be obtained. ' Ikaroa (Wellington) and South Island Districts Native Land Court There were twenty-two sittings of the Court in the Ikaroa District during the year and ten in the bouth Island Ihe volume of business showed an increase over the previous years' figures. The number of oases notified in the Ikaroa District was 2,939, as compared with 2,721 in the previous year, and in the bouth Island there were f>77 cases, as against 595 in the previous year. k T A i ma wf. °{ in * erest r in tllC S °f th Island was an in< ! uil 7 into the mutton-bird industry conducted by Judge Whitehead at Invercargill. A considerable amount of evidence was taken from the interested Maoris and the shipping owners, and the submission of this evidence to the Price Tribuanl was of assistance in the recently gazetted fixation of prices. The number of alienations confirmed by the Court showed a substantial increase in both districts but there has been comparatively little freeholding of the total area of approximately 12,000 acres attected by alienations, only 168 acres were included in the twenty-one sales confirmed. Maori Land Boards ff! n nnn nanC6S °J B ° ar , dS con *T e , to f low a BOund P osition - During the year a further investment ot £10,000 was made in war-loan stock by the two Boards and smaller investments were made on behalf ot specific beneficiaries. General Maori Welfare The Ikaroa and South [sland Boards take a close interest in the general welfare of the Maori people ot the districts. Annual donations have been made to the Ngati-Poneke Maori Association which continues to carry out important welfare work in Wellington, and during the current year an additional contribution of £100 was made for general expenses and maintenance of the hall which was made available to the association by the Government. Similar voluntary organizations have recently been established m 1 almerston North and Levin, and it is hoped that these ventures will prove successful These three clubs together with the Ngati-Otautahi of Christchurch and Ngai-te-Poti of Dunedin have made valuable contributions to patriotic funds during the year ' madc

TABLE A.—SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL POSITION OF NATIVE TRUSTEE AND DISTRICT MAORI LAND BOARDS AS AT 31st MARCH, 1945

7

Sub-total „ ™™'- W '»- iki ' Itt. Aotea. toroa. *g* <"}» §S? Grand ,sla " (l - Trust .(««'«• Total. Branches.) Offl ce.) sra. :: jms Rjs k "sws sk as a as k ss Investments — On Nati e vrCte: ith 2 ' 24iJ 41 ' 464 50,808 21 ' 716 (il ' 892 M ' 344 ».'« 242,237 .. 242,237 Government securities 23,868 21,350 40,005 86,710 70,175 20 370 8 494 271 02B 181 aw amo e«n Mortgages .. 9,459 21,563 30,098 55,060 71 585 28 483 5 241 221 489 wJ'SS RQk'^q Farming propertiee .. 11,571 47,117 6,760 4,900 . ?. 70 348 ImIw SS'S? and primary pro- iu,O4O iJ4,ciiy 204,007 duction Li benfiJiari!"s 47 ' 7, " 86 ' 818 103,601 UlM lM ' 87 - 1 101 -™ 23,075 626,526 222,935 849,461 Reserves — R( " •• 7 ' 698 •• 5,2 ° 8 60 ' 089 *> m W 123,692 193,605 SpeCial •• 285 | 23 ' 527 0!) ' (i03 (il '214 24,118 3,047 1,338 .174,132 19,14! 19 3;2 73