NATIVE LAND RATES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 30, 30 June 1939, Page 2

NATIVE LAND RATES

—oAREAS IN PIAKO COUNTY ''The Maori is liable t Q his rates just the same as the pakeha and where the lands are producing sufficient revenue to enable them to be paid there seems to be no reason why they should not be paid," stated a let ter received this week by the Pialo County Council from the Acting Minister of Native Affairs,, the Hon I • C. Webb. The non-payment of native rates has been a vexed question in numeious county areas for some considerable time and the Minister's letter was the result of representations made on behalf of the Piako Council by Mr J • M. Allen, M. P. ''The Government expects the Maori to stand up to his responsibilities as a citizen and pay his rates like any land owner," wrote the Minister. "On the other hand I am sure vou will agree that the Government has a responsibility towards tne Maori people and is duty bound to assist the Maori until such time as he has established himself and is i'» a position to stand up to these responsibilities. It is for this reason that native lands cannot be sold tor not-paymcnt of rates without thv, permission- of the Native Minister . Had this not been so I am sure the Maori would long since nave been deprived of his ancestral lands .iml

here I am sure you will agree th.it this would have been disastrous not only to the Maori but also to the Government. "The first essential step in rectifying the rating position is to have -he lands brought into production, and towards this end the Government has set up an extensive organisation and is providing considerable sums of money in order to enable this t 0 he done. The work is being carried out by the Maoris themselves, the Government providing the finance and expert supervision and much progress has already been made.'' Mr Webb said that 830,000 acres of waste lands bad been brought into the scheme and of this area 250,000 acres were pastured and stocked to capacity. A total of 5000 Maoris was employed and the expenditure was nearly £1.000,000. It was obvious, continued the Minister, that this was the solution cf the Native rates problem and in a case where native lands were developed and producing there was no reason why the rates should not be paid. The Minister concluded by saying that the Department would give the council assistance to recover rates, in cases where it was considered they should be paid, and the council decided that legal action would be taken to recover rates where it was thought the Native owner was Ln a position to pay. I