NATIVE AFFAIRS INQUIRY

Evening Star, Issue 21751, 20 June 1934, Page 2

NATIVE AFFAIRS INQUIRY

EVIDENCE ON TARANAKI RESERVES [Pin United Press Association.] ‘ WELLINGTON, June ,19. Submissions on behalf of the West Coast settlement reserves in Taranaki were placed before the Native Affairs Commission to-day by Mr A. K. North. He stated that the West Coast Settlement Reserves’ Beneficiaries’ Association was an incorporated body with a membership of over 1,000. The reserves consisted of an area of 71,926 acres, having a total capital value of £2,130,000. The principal complaint was that the beneficiaries had not been paid the rent due to them promptly or regularly. No interest had been paid on delayed payments. It was proposed that statutory provision should be made for the payments of rents when received by a Native trustee into a separate trust account, and that definite half-yearly dates should be fixed for the distribution of these rents. Compensation should bo paid to the beneficiaries for hardship and loss suffered by them through unjustifiable delay in the payment of rents. Proper balancesheets should be issued to each grant, such balance-sheets to contain all the proper information usually appearing in well-drawn trustee and beneficiaries’ accounts, including full particulars of the arrears of rent. It was also suggested that an inquiry should be made into the position regarding all unclaimed rents. The grievance dated from 1931 and reached boiling point after the July payment, when only two-thirds were paid over. . Mr H. S. Ring, deputy Native trustee, said it would not be a good proposition to have a separate account for the West Coast reserves. If that principle were adopted separate accounts would have to be set up for all other reserve accounts, and the money might be lying idle. It was better finance to have a common fund and have the money invested. The first delay in payments to beneficiaries occurred in 1932. Distribution was due in June of that year, but a difference arose whether the lessees of land were entitled to a reduction of rentals. As soon as the opinion of the Solicitor-General that the reductions under the National Adjustment Act applied was obtained distribution was made. The, next distribution was due in December, but was de layed through no fault of the office. A number of applications for relief had been received apd the flow of current cash into the office had practically stopped. That prevented them froni making a full distribution in December. They had held a number of local body debentures at.the time, but these had been unsaleable. Eventually they had obtained some money from the Treasury, but this was sufficient to pay out only one-third of the credit balance due to the beneficiaries for distribution. In June, 1933, Cabinet approved of a grant of £IO,OOO, but the Treasury would not put it through. In the end, however, they were able to raise the money, and by September, 1933, they were able to bring the payments up to date. A further distribution had been made in December last, and there was another one starting which would include all payments made into the office on March 31. Asked whether he thought compensation should be paid because of the delay m payments, Mr King said that once the beneficiaries had been told of the difficulties which had arisen the major itv of them had been satisfied. Mr B. C. Sim, Native agent and farmer judge of the Native Land Court, appeared on behalf of the beneficiaries other than those interested in the West Coast settlement reserves. He submitted that the administration by a Native trustee bad been neither beneficial nor satisfactory. “ We.say,” he continued, “ that although the Native trustee was created to supply deficiencies found in these reserves he has failed even worse than the Public Trustee failed. Certainly he hasn't done any better. It was expected that when a special Native trustee was appointed to devote himself sympathetically and actively to the welfare of the Maori beneficiaries an improvement would be shown, but we allege that he has failed in every respect because the qualities expected of him were not forthcoming.” Mr Sira said that although the reserves in the Taranaki district were owned by the Maoris a considerable portion of the land had passed away from them almost entirely. In many cases nothing was left to the Natives except the right to receive the ground rent. “ It is believed that there arc combinations of European leaseholders—nob only in the case of the Taranaki reserves' but also with the West Coast ami Nelson reserves—which defeat all attempts to get any adequate ground rent.” Mr Sim continued. “By combination they can secure extremely lonrentals. it is not possible to prove this as a general rule, but in one case it was aetuallv admitted.” . Mr Justice Smith: Will you bring any definite allegations against the Native trustee ? Witness: Well, broadly, they arc those. (1) His administration has been

a failure; (2) his financial administration also has failed; (3) he has a lack of officers for-making proper inspections and supervision of Native reserves. Mr Justice Smith: That is your first definite point so far. “The financial position is important, seeing that the Native trustee has been paid wholly and solely by the Maoris for even the smallest detail of office equipment,” Mr Sim said. “ The department has made a profit amounting m twelve years to £IOO,OOO, yet now he is so pressed for money that he cannot pay out rents when they come due.” Mr Sim quoted a report of twelve years ago, in which it was stated that the Natives had been sub-letting their lands for several times the original rental charged, and making in this way sometimes over £350 a year. ’ Mr Justice Smith: Do you make that allegation at the present time? Mr Sim: I do.

With regard to the financial position Mr Sim alleged that the Native trustee had so involved himself in transactions that lie had not now the ready money- to meet his indebtedness. His yearly gross profits had been as high as £23,000, and had never fallen below £14,900. The expenses of the upkeep of his office had steadily risen from £5,000 in 1922 to £15,000 in 1931. He had made net profits ns high as £13,000 in a year and as low as £3,000, but he had never shown anything other than a profit. If the r drainistration of the Native Trust office was not better conducted in future it would be to the advantage of the beneficiaries if it were taken back by the Public Trust. Mr Sim said that the only alternative he would' suggest was that widespread changes should be made" in the office, such as the inclusion of the services of officers of the Native Land Court.The commission adjourned until tomorrow morning.