NATIVE AFFAIRS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 46, 16 October 1931, Page 3

NATIVE AFFAIRS

BILL TO CONSOLIDATE AND BRING LAWS UP TO DATE PROTECTING MAORI INTERESTS WELLINGTON, Thursday. General matters affecting the natives, as distinguished from the ordinary native land laws, are dealt with in the Native Purposes Bill. The measure was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day. Its purpose is to consolidate Acts extending over 40 years and to obviate reI ference to 38 separate Statutes. j According to th Minister of Native I Affairs, the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata, i all the sections with the exception of | eight dealing with the Tongariro Timber Company, and the Taupo Lake waters, have been repealed. The clauses referred to have been retained in their original form as they are at present the subject of controversy. Amendments affecting native reserves, which ordinarily would have been incorporated in the native "Washing j Up" Bill, have been grouped in the first part of the legislation. The Minister notes that the natives have been very generous in giving scenic and other reserves to the public and appropriate provisions are made for the management of the areas affected. The remaining sections of the Bill deal with amendments to the Native Township Act, 1910, the East Coast Bush and Mangatu Blocks, in the Gisborne district, the functions of boards and authorities operating under the Native Department .and miscellaneous items. The East Coast Trust is an echo of the far off day when lands invested in the New Zealand Native Land Settlement Company, which failed, had to be rescued by appointing a board, which was succeeded by a single commissioner, whose duty it was to save the estate of the Maoris from the results of the failure of the company. Notable among the boards functioning under the Department are the' Maori Purposes Fund Control Board, which controls the fund established out of Maori moneys to be used for objects beneficial to the Maori people; the Maori Ethnological Research Board, whose efforts have placed on record the best works of Maori authorities; the Arawa Trust Board, eontrolling moneys derived from the Rotorua lakes and the Tuwharetoa Trust Board, directing moneys derived from Lake Taupo. The Minister explains that the idea at the baek of the preparation of the Bill was that in conjunction with the native land laws, all matters that applied to the natives should be brought up to date with the native land law. The Consolidation Bill would effect a consolidation and the removal from the Statute Book of all Acts affecting native matters other than those dealing with native re- 1 serves and Maori councils.