NEEDS OF THE MAORI

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 125, 23 November 1932, Page 8

NEEDS OF THE MAORI

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM

SETTLEMENT ON LAND

Stating that expenditure of unemployment relief money on Maoris has for some time been giving the Unemployment Board a great deal of concern, Mi. J. S. Jessep, deputy-chairman of the board, in an interview with a Post" representative to-day, expressed the opinion, that the immediate and paramount necessity of the Natives if their situation is to be relieved is the provision of facilities for their establishment as individual settlers on their own lands. For the past twenty years Mr. Jessep has been intimately associated with the Maori race in the East Coast district, and since joining the Unemployment Board he has made a particular study of their problems in relation to unemployment. Summed up, his conclusions, -which carry the added importance of his office, are:— . "The need for individualisation of Native lands is imperative. There is no alternative. The- process must be brought to speedy completion. The country is at the parting of the "ways as far as the- Maori race is concerned. Unless the Maoris are assisted, and assisted promptly, to take their place as individual settlers, side by side with European farmers, they will be unable to keep pace with the country's progress; and the next; decade may witness a deterioration of which the necessity of their widespread acceptance of relief is to-day's warning." MOUNTING- EXPENDITURE. - Mr.. Jessop points out that the Maori population, including' half-castes, is 08,000, of whom 65,000 are in the jNorth Island. Of-these 49,000 are in the Auckland provincial district, mostly in the North Auckland and East Coast areas. It is officially estimated that the male Maoris between the ages of 20 and 64 years number 15,000. At the end of October last the number contributing to the unemployment fund was 8000. The Unemployment Board, Jlr. Jessep adds, is now.paying relief to Maoris at the rate of £166,000 a year or over £3000 a week. During August and September last £27 684 was paid to 3200 Maoris. ; "Personal observation and investigation in-the field," Mr. Jessep adds, - have impressed upon me the growth of a serious problem in respect of Maoris, and of the need for its urgent consideration. Forty years ago the Maoris were becoming settled down after the Maori Wars, and were as yet not fully accustomed to the European mode of living. They had in the past owned and worked their lands in common. They were used to the communal system, under the control of their chiefs During the past forty years the country was in active process of development. Hundreds of thousands of acres required clearing of bush, grassing and fencing, and extensive public works were in progress. Maoris found, ready to their hand, ample work of a kind that suited them, and, incidentally, they played a material part in making possible the settlement and development of largeareas of the country now highly productive in the occupation of Europeans. Meantime, the native lands remained idle and undeveloped under common ownership. A CLOSED CHAPTEE. "That phase of the country's history is now, definitely closed. The. great bulk of the land has been cleared and settled. With the coming of economic depression, the work which the Maoris have grown accustomed to depend upon has ceased. They have turned their attention back to their land, still largely held in common- ownership. In numbers of eases individuals have attempted to farm'areas; but the other joint owners have too frequently taken advantage of the individual's industry, rendering it useless for him to continue. He has then turned to unemployment relief work. "The older chiefs, still imbued with tradition and pride of race, view with disquiet the complacent acceptance of relief. But the younger generation, of Natives have not had to depend on their lands for livelihood, and conse quently have not been educated to the communal system of their ancestors, nor are they to the same degree as in the past subject to the authority of j their chiefs. They not unnaturally take the same view as the European of unemployment relief and regard themselves as equally entitled to participate. ' 'INDIVIDUALISATION RETARDED." "The undesirable situation which has arisen is well exemplified at one small centre in .the North Auckland district. At this place, Maoris constitute 60 per cent, of the registered unemployed, and there are 104 of them under schemes 4a and 5. 'Of these. 104 Maoris who are receiving relief, 69 have interest in property which has not yet been individualised. The amount of money which has been paid from the Unemployment Fund to.Maoris in this small place already totals nearly £6000. Unquestionably, progress has been made with the consolidation and individualisation of native land interests, but the process is far too slow, having in mind the crisis which is at hand. It is extremely unfortunate, also, that opposition to individualisation is definitely apparent from sections of the Maori race. Where the opposition of such sections is strong, individualisation has been definitely retarded. In other, places, free from such retarding influences, the settlement of Maoris on individualised holdings is going on quite satisfactorily, with consequent relief to the Unemployment Fund and benefit to themselves. The majority of the Maoris are anxious for the settlement of their land problem; and. it -would seem apparent that special pressure must be brought to bear to prevent" the process being hampered. .-■.-■■ SHARE OF BURDEN. "One hundred per cent, success cannot be hoped for at once. As 'is the case with' Europeans, numbers •of Maoris may not prove successful settlers. The rate of progress at which the change-over has been proceeding must be accelerated. Apart from the interests of the Maoris themselves, failure to carry ihrough the individualisation of their lands means that the State will have to. continue providing large sums of money for distribution as unemployment relief among people who would be infinitely better off if given the opportunity of working the land they own. "The solution of this problem has a distinct bearing on the fuller development of European land. It is impossible for many counties to carry 6n whilst a large proportion of their areas are practically unrateable owing to the difficulties of collecting rates levied on unindividualised land. The burden on the land in active occupation is too great. "The Maoris participate in our free system of education. They enjoy full use of the roading system, and share all the other advantages at the disposal of pakeha citizens. Their renowned superiority as a native race fully entitles them to do so; but all these things impose heavy charges on the community as a whole, and the system under which the bulk of the Maoris' land is still held does not permit of their taking their rightful share of the burden."