ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INCORPORATION

Te Ao Hou, December 1961, Page 37

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE INCORPORATION The Puketapu 3A Incorporation has benefited the members of the Tuwharetoa tribe in many ways. First of all, the distributions to shareholders have totalled £380,356, to which the latest distribution of £107,700 should be added. This money has helped many of the owners to improve their lot. Some have bought logging trucks, timber transport trucks, taxis or farms with their royalties and thus set themselves up in business. Many have used the money to build themselves houses or pay off housing mortgages. As a result of the distributions, most of the owners now live in good conditions and in good financial circumstances. A second important effect of Puketapu's success has been to encourage the formation of other Maori timber incorporations such as Hauhungaroa 2C, Hauhungaroa 1D2, Hauhungaroa 2D1 and Hautu. These groups naturally benefited from the experience of the Puketapu committee of management. To some extent the incorporation has also helped the people by providing employment. Two Maori logging companies are working fulltime on the felling of the Puketapu bush. These are the Tamaiwhana Logging Co., run by the Jones brothers, and the Moerangi Logging Co., operated by Paterika Hura. These are independent of the incorporation, but Puketapu owns the excellent workers' houses in the settlement. These were built by arrangement with the State Advances Corporation under a hire purchase agreement specially provided for timbermills; the workers' rentals are very reasonable. There is however not very much occasion for the incorporation to provide employment for its members, as 80% live outside the district and most of the others have good permanent employment. Finally, the Puketapu experience has been valuable in the confidence it created in the ability of a Maori corporate body to succeed in a most difficult commercial enterprise. If successful, incorporations have a big part to play in the utilization of Maori land. There is no reason why they shoud not increasingly do so, as long as the leadership is strong and the people are prepared to forego immediate advantage for the sake of long-term benefits.

Maori All Black, H. Maniapoto, one of the most energetic men on the field, endeavours to stop G. Bouguyon's kick. (Russell Orr Studios) The moment 25,000 people had been waiting for. F. Moncla (France) and P. Walsh (New Zealand Maoris) lead out their respective teams. (Russell Orr Studio)