NATIVE EXPENDITURE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5822, 26 November 1879, Page 3

NATIVE EXPENDITURE.

The following interesting interim report was laid on the table of the Council yesterday by the Native Expenditure Committee :—The committee appointed to inquire into the expenditure during the year ended the 30th June, 1879, and the quarter ended the 30th Sept., 1879, under the votes for native purposes and native land purchases, have the honor to report : —The committee deemed it desirable to prepare a comparative statement of the expenditure under the votes for native purposes for the seven years preceding the last financial year. From this statement it will be seen that the annual permanent charge for th* Civil List —viz., £7ooo—has not been exceeded in any of those years, except in 1873-74, when the expenditure was £8249 9s. sd. Under the head “Appropriations,” the tables show an average annual expenditure for the same periods of £27,160, or, taking the Civil List and the appropriations together, the average annual expenditure under “native purposes" has been £33,845. The expenditure for the fifteen months from Ist July, 1878, to 30th September, 1879, was £46,699 17s. 9d. In this total are included various payments to which the attention of the committee has been drawn, as not coming within the ordinary application of votes for contingencies. The summary of the expenditure for the three

months ending the 30th September, 1879, is as follows ;—Liabilities of j receding year,— Salaries, £1434 ss. 54. ; contingencies, £6368 14s. lid. ; total, £7803 Os. 4d. Current year, £3877 3s, 9cl. ; Civil list, £BO6 sa. ; total, £12,486 9s. Id. Tint in addition to this sum there is an amount of £5799 19s. 6d., part of which has been paid sine; the Ist October last, and part of which is still outstanding. In looking through the returns from which these tables have been prepared, the first thing which strikes the attention is the large amount of the salaries and pensions. In the opinion of the committee steps should be at once taken to introduce a permanent change in the mode of distributing these salaries, and to bring them under direct parliamentary control. The division of the Native Department into two branches—viz., native purposes and native land purchase, appears to create frequent doubts as to the particular branch to which items should be charged, and consequently to give rise to a loose mode of keeping the accounts. It is to the items, “ Food and supplies,” “Gratuities,” “Services rendered,” “ Contingencies,” so frequently recurring in both returns, that the committee desire to call particular attention. In the return of the last quarter, and iu the return K, it will be observed that the total of the items “ (Contingencies,” being liabdities for the preceding year, is £BBI3 13s. sd. In the opinion of the committee an expenditure so large under this head is suggestive of irresponsibility not compatible with the efficient working of Parliamentary government, and if not very carefully controlled and kept within proper bounds is calculated to demoralise the public service, as well as to exercise a pernicious influence on the natives themselves. The explanation which the committee have been able to obtain regarding moneys so expended is vagueandunsatisfactory, and the system must necessarily tend to set at defiance all attempts to properly control the expenditure of the public funds. The information contained in the precis is astriking illustration of this fact. It appears that latterly the District Native Officers have been in the habit of greatly exceeding the amounts previously held to be sufficient for “ contingent expenditure ” under their authority ; and, although the native negotiations and an increasing number of natives coming into the settled districts may partly explain this matter, it cannot but be necessary that the Government should firmly refuse to give its sanction to such a practice in all cases where the fullest and most satisfactory explanations are not submitted. From the tables furnished by the Native Land Purchase Department it will be seen that the total expenditure of the department tor the year ending the 30th September, 1879, Was £128,234 19s. lid., of which sum £10,972 15s. sd. was required for working expenses. For the three months ended 30th September, 1879, the total expenditure was £29,634 16s. 10d., of which sum £3311 14s. 6d. was for working expenses, £10,797 10s. Bd. for roads and bridges, and £1474 10s. Bd. for negotiations. The total number of acres over which negotiations wore completed was 268,388, the cost of which was £27,700 10s. 3d., or a little more than 2s. an acre. The number of acres concerning which negotiations have besn in progress was 2,006,797, upon which the sum of £89,061 14s. 3d. was advanced, whilst the estimated area of land still under negotiations is 4,224,070 acres, and the estimated amount required to complete these negotiations is £1,210,802 9s. 6d., so that if the officers of the department are permitted to carry out all the transactions in the land referred to, the colony will be involved in a further liability of something like a million and a quarter of money. This amount is independent of the large sum of money which must be expended in the opening up of means of communications with these lands before they can be rendered available for settlement. The committee desire to record their opinion that the Government have not been justified in entering into negotiations of so large an extent without having first obtained the sanction of Parliament. The appropriations for native land purchase since 1870 amount to £732,000, and the expenditure to 30th September last has been £735,128 14s sci. The evidence taken by the committee leads to the conclusion that the lauds referred to are not likely to realise, after survey, the amount of the purchase mouey, exclusive of prepayments and expenses on account of such purchase. In the course of their inquiries the committee have become impressed with the conviction that the present system of acquiring native lands is attended with such serious disadvantages that it is expedient it should oeasa absolutely. They are of opinion that the Land Purchase Department should be abolished, and that the Government, while continuing to exercise a control overthe sale of native lands, should henceforward do so for the benefit of the natives, and not at all with the view of deriving any profit from such sales. That all negotiations with, or sales to, private individuals should be prohibited, and that the Government should henceforth, upon the application of any natives to sell lauds, a title to which they shall have established before a competent tribunal, cause the same to be surveyed, such reserves as may be desired or appear to be necessary made, and the remainder to be sold by auction in blocks of suitable area. The proceeds, less the cost of survey, repayment of advances already made, or other expenses fairly chargeable upon such lands, and a deduction for roads or other necessary works or purposes, to be paid to, or invested for the benefit of, the native owners.—H. J. Miller, Chairman.