MAORI SETTLERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 06, Issue 95, 3 August 1943, Page 5

MAORI SETTLERS

HEAVY GOVERNMENT DEDUCTIONS

MEN ON DEVELOPMENT

SCHEMES

''There is a feeling among unit occupiers that the Department is deducting too heavy a monthly percentage from the returns: of settlers," .said Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. for Bay of Plenty., when discussing the item of £150,000 for native land settlement in the House of Representatives. Mr Sullivan said that one settler had informed him that unless he secured relief he would have to wallk off. Some deductions from the monthly payment to settlers ranged to 10 and 50 per cent of the monthly income. He could not see why successful settlers should have a higher percentage deducted while other settlers less successful were left at the lower rate. If successful settlers were to be placed at a disadvantage, that would cancel out the incentive to carry on. If the Minister visited the Te Kaha and the Waialiou settlements: the tlers would give him a modern liaka of welcome "to-day we have the credits to-morrow we have the debits." Some young settlers would prefer to go into Maori camps wiiere they could carry on with smaller monthly income. If the settlers were allowed to retain a greater proportion of their earnings, they would not need so much assistance, from | the unemployment, grant in the of! season. Referring to noxious Aveeds, Mr Sullivan said successful settlers were discouraged when blocks of Native land adjoining their holdings were overrun with blackberry, ragwort and gorse. He would like to see some steps, taken to keep these blocks between well farmed areas clear of ragwort and blackberry.