MAORI FUNDS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 54, 26 October 1931, Page 4

MAORI FUNDS

("Post" Special Commissioner.)

USE TO PAY DEBT INCURRED BY TAUPO NATIVES CHALLENGED. ROYALTIES ON TIMBER.

WELLINGTON, Saturday. The utilisation of certain Maori funds §et aside for the general bene.fit of the natives of the Taupo .distrjct for the paymen't of a debt ineurred by a seetion of the natives ther,e was criticised ip the House of Representatiyes yester.day by Mr. M. J. Savage (Labour, Auckland West), when the estimates were being disr cussed. The item in the estimates referred to was a sum of £3.000 in payment of the annual sum to the Tuwharetoa Trust Board. One of the Natiye Land Acts provides for the payment of this sum apnually, as well as 50 per cent. of the £3000 reeeiyed for lieenses issued for fishing or in resp.ect of boats, etc., in Taupo waters during the preceding financjal year. Mr. Sayage drew attention to the fact that portion of this mon.ey was being used to pay off a large debt contracted by certain Maoris over a period of 25 years. The total of the debt had been £12,000, but the Native Department had been prevaile.d upon to buy this debt for £6000 and this balanee was being paid .off in instaLments. The first payment of £75.0 had been made, with further payments promised of £1050 a year for five years. Thus the debt was to be wiped off out of the money made available for the benefit of the Maoris, some of whom wer.e not inr volved in the debt. In reply the Minister of Natiye Af-fai-S, Sir A. T. Ngata, said that the subject had been inyestigated three years ago, when it was felt that it. would be a matter of public benefit. if the debt was paid. The debt had: arisen through the operatipn of a timber company in the distriet. The company paid royalties, which wer.e: fairly considerable, to the Maoris and in anticipation pf the 'meney the Maoris had contracted debts with a local storekeeper. He (the Minister) had been consulted when the question was raised and as representative of the Native race, had considered that the arrangement made was a fair .one. ;