MACRIS ON RELIEF

Hokitika Guardian, 8 November 1932, Page 6

MACRIS ON RELIEF

OUTSTANDING RESULTS SHOWN. COMMENT BY SIR A. NGATA. WELLINGTON, November 6. Outstanding results have been achiev- , ed by. the' Maoris of- the .Ngapuhi, sitiQ , other North Auckland tribes from t grants which were made for relief ■ work. For clearing and preparing 4313 . scenes of land* putting in eleven miles - and a half of drains, splitting 12,000

the cost to the Unemployment Board was less than £3 10s a head. The cost to loan funds from the Native Land Development Account was £3733, o: about £’6 2s a head. A total of '602 dVlapri men were assisted and, through fpein,- numerous families benefited. Commenting on the position, the Native Minister, Sir Apirana Ngata, ■ stated tli at the- work these Maoris had contracted to do would have cost half

as much again if others had been asked to undertake it. Actually the assistance given inspired these Maoris to make Such a response that 26CQ acres above the amount contracted for in the land development scheme were sown in grass. The closing down of railway, construction and other public works, the slump in,prices for dairy produce, the inability of European farmers to provide work, together with the failure of the potato and kiimera crons, combined to press the northern tribes to ask for a measure of relief, said Sir Anirana in speaking of the winter of 1931. It was feared that- farms would be neglected vdiile sought sustenI anee on unemployment relief wot ks. However, some-time eg;Her than this, a special grant had been made by the Unemployment Board for the I relief of Maori unemnloynie it by development Avo-k ,and provisoin Avas made from '.tin's source tO assist the Maoris o l ' the North- Auckland district. J Pne’eial officers Avgre detailed to inves- | titrate the position and on their r'ecoini mend a tions unemployment . contract s.

subsidised on the basis of the 413 scheme, Arto-e authorised.' Some of these Avere on official development Schemes and othel's for o-i----vate employers. As a result, 2147acres of hush. Avete felled, 1395 v*tes of i scrub cleared, eml 737* acres of gorse cruntry stumped arid grribhe'd, beside® fencing and pUie" .-v-ork. The total cost whs £'6718. of Avhich £5289 wa s tfW op development schemes "nd £1409 spent oh private pfenevtv. Th© sbbsidv oh the t'afal av°s £2969. Of the 6D2 men emnlovod, 490 v-orl-ed on developrViknf schemes arid 112 for private employers.