WONDERFUL WOMAN

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1931, Page 8

WONDERFUL WOMAN

PRINCESS TE PUEA'S WORK. MAORI COMMUNAL FARM. I The Waikato Maoris, headed by , Princess Te Puea, have, set an example in land development that is regarded I by tlie Native Land Department as ono , of the best in New Zealand. Out bc- | yoncl Waiuku, where two years ago hundreds of acres were covered with l tea-tree, gorse and fern, and infested with rabbits, the Princess and her people have founded dairy farms. 'lliese farms, fully stocked, had cost only £l7 an acre stated Mr J..N. Massey. M.P., for Franklin, in an address at the Franklin''combined Chambers of Con l.nerce conference. Two ydans ago, the Kohukobe. block) of 400 acres was, unproductive land. In Septembi e'r, 1929, Piincee Te Puea, and the J members of her tribe set to work, and tlie result of their labours showed . what could he, done with proper orI ganisation in a short time. In the 1 past season, three small herds had i been milked on the newly-grassed land. “SPLEXDII) INFLUENCE,” “Princess Te Puea is a wonderful woman,” said Mr Massey. “She has a splendid influence over the natives, and lias proved to the rest of New Zealand what can be done in this way. The land shows that excellent work has been out into it. Jdo not say that the Crown, couldl develop land at the same cost in other places, but it I would be better to develop it at double I the cost than to fritter money away i a sis being done on some of the unemi ployinent works.” So convinced is Princess Te Puea of the soundness of the scheme that she is extending her operations to another 200 acres nearby. She had also set about preparing for work on a larger scale at Kohanlfa, ten miles from Tuakau. towards the Waikato Heads, where 1000 acres of bush and rougn undeveloped country will be converted in farmlands. Princess Te Puea leads a remarkably active life. She is a fine stamp of aristocratic Maori, tlie cousin ol “King” Rata Mahuta, of Huntly, and has a striking personality, which is of the secrets of her success She is highly respected by all her people 11, is one of her ambitions to establish them successfully in agricultural anti dairying pursuits, and they arc responding to her efforts. • Before’she ventured upon her land settlement work, she organised the building of a Maori village at Ngarua- ■ wallia, which she financed by concert tours; With her “girls and boys.” as she called them, she began some years ago to give concerts throughout, tlie country. At first the concert party had to walk from place to place, but they soon made sufficient to afford horse transport. Some time later they bought a motor car, and then another and the village at Ngaruawahia was constructed in detail, according to her ideas. For ten or fifteen years Princess Te Puea lias proved herself a real leader of her people, and has been as active in helping them as the Maori princesses of tlie old days were in organising the defence of their native pas. Thor live in wooden houses, and the work at present being done is eariTed out with the co-operation of the Native Lands officials.