Cost to the State Land development is conducted in two stages. The first is the development of the land from its unimproved state up to station stage when sheep and cattle are reared and run for a number of years until the pasture is thoroughly consolidated. During this period of consolidation all the profits that accrue are credited to the scheme in order to ensure that on final settlement by units no loss would be carried by the State. These stations, with the stock on them, were valued at about £14 million in 1955. The debt to the State at that time was £5 million. The second stage of land development is settlement of the land by unit farmers. There are at present 1351 unit farms whose total assets are valued at £9 million, and these farmers owe the State £1,390,000. It is clear from the figures that the assets created far exceed the outstanding debts, that the security is sound and the rate of repayment reasonable. We should also include with the assets created by Maori Land Development the value of debt-free stations returned to Maori incorporations after development was complete, and the value of several hundred unit farms handed back to settlers after they had repaid their liabilities to the department. The value of such released stations and farms is estimated at over £3 million. In the twenty-seven years the Maori Land Development Scheme has lasted, there have been some small sums written off as bad debts. However, it should not be forgotten that all lending has been at 1 ½% above the normal lending rate and the proceeds of this extra 1 ½% exceed several times the total written off. So we may conclude that this scheme, which has been such an inestimable boon to the Maori people, has not been an undue burden on the resources of the Government.

TOO MANY CHILDREN ARE DROWNED The drowning rate among the Maori people has become so serious that the National Water Safety Committee is launching an all out campaign aimed at impressing the Maori people with the need to take care to prevent water deaths. It is determined to reduce the tragic number of Maori lives, particularly young lives, which are ended each year by drowning. At the same time the national campaign directed at teaching all New Zealanders water safety continues. The demand for a special Maori campaign has been brought about by the fact that the Maori drowning rate is much higher than the pakeha. Though last summer 24 Maoris were drowned compared to 63 pakehas, when the comparatively small total Maori population is taken into account compared with the large pakeha population, it means that the Maori drowning rate is nearly six times that of the pakeha.

MAORI TRIO Three Maoris forming a group known as The Maori Trio have just returned to Western Germany after receiving an overwhelmingly rousing reception from audiences at Erfurt, in Eastern Germany, where they performed hakas and traditional Maori action songs. The leader of the group, Mr Te Waari Ward-Holmes, formerly of Takaka (Golden Bay), and Nelson, said that in the ten days they were in the Soviet-occupied sector, the reaction of the German audiences was so great that the trio was performing twice as long as it anticipated. Its performances were given before the showing of a film. “We were on stage for 35 minutes for the first house and 40 for the second, making a total of 75 minutes each night,” he said. The other members of the group are Mr Henare Gilbert, of Waikaremoana, and Mr Te Manu Rawiri Paraki, of Ruatahuna, Urewera Country. Mr Paraki is better known as Mr Patrick Rawiri.

What's in a name…? The Cooper name on a Stock Remedy is your assurance of high quality and complete dependability. For well over one hundred years Cooper Products have set the standard all over the world and Cooper Scientists are ceaselessly engaged on research in the interests of the man on the land. YOU CAN DEPEND ON COOPER PRODUCTS Cooper, McDougall & Robertson (N.Z.) LTD. ACHILLES HOUSE CUSTOMS STREET E AUCKLAND Box 599