WEST COAST RESERVES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 5

WEST COAST RESERVES

I THE COMMISSION'S REPORT. ) IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The following is the portion of the Public Trust Commissioners' report dealing with the West Coast native reserves generally:— The commissioners report that the trusts of the West Coast Settlement Reserves and other reserves are carefully and satisfactorily performed. They consider, however, that the Public Trustee should not have to deal with the question of whether a native owner is to be relegated to the mere position of an idle rent-receiving landlord, or is to be encouraged and helped to become a successful cultivator and a useful member of the community, or whether any, and what, efl'ort shouid lie made to settle the still unleased portions of the various reserves. They shold be in touch with the Native-Lands Departments, so that a policy consistent with the operations of these departments as regards the natives generally should be maintained. In connection with reserves and other West Coast settlement, there is a special board constituted under the Native Reserves Act, consisting of the Public Trustee and other members of the Public Trust Board, and two natives appointed by the Governor. This Hoard, they say, is a mere farce. It meets infrequently. Its last meeting was over a year ago. As the Native Minister has never attended and the Under-Secretary of Lands is not a member of the Board, it is plain that the Public Trustee is "altogether out of touch with the departments that are most interested in his administration. They think that the foregoing considerations (which are set out at considerable length) point to the necessity for some change in the administration of the native reserves. The Public Trustee and those members of the office staff who gave evidence held the view that the office should be relieved of native work. The commissioners also express the opinion that it would be in the interests of the natives if, by means of revenue from these reserves, , their own property, they could be assisted to better themselves as agriculturists and otherwise. To this end they are of opinion that the whole of the native reserves and their administration should be vested in an independent body. They, therefpre, suggest that a Native Reserves Trustee should be created, with a board consisting of himself, the Under-Secretary of Native Affairs (or some other expert in native affairs), the Under-Secretary of Lands, and two other members appointed by the Governor, of whom one should be a native and the other a European who has had experience in agricultural matters. The Native Trustee, acting" under the Board, should, they suggest, be endowed with the main functions of the Maori Land Board, except that he would not be authorised to sell, in cases where I the Public Trustee is not now authorised ' to do so. All existing trusts should be maintained, so that the change shall not alter the rights of the beneficiaries.