CO-OPERATIVE FARMING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 266, 8 June 1910, Page 5

CO-OPERATIVE FARMING.

A proposal to carry on co-operative farming among the Maoris of the Wanganui river was put before the Hon. Jas. Carroll (Native Minister) when He visited Jerusalem, the Wanganui river settlement, last week. Operations are to be proceeded with on a large scale. They will commence on a block of 6000 acrss, under the direction of a manager, appointed by the Moari Land Board of the district. Adjoining the co-operative farm will be an area of 1000 acres reserved for general cultivations. Here the Maoris who are not employed on the large farms may profit by the example it affords. -Finances are already. in an excellent condition, as the natives have allocated to the venture an annual revenue of £llOO from European leases, and also a fund of £2OOO, which was created for the purposes. Another block of 5000 acres can be added if the farm proves successful. The manager will have working with him in administering the farm a committee representing the Maori landowners. Several hundred natives are interested in the block, and if it had been leased their individual incomes would have been extremely small, but the farming of the land with their own labour will give them healthy and highly profitable occupation.