Healthy Land And Cheerful Homes For Taranaki Maoris

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 29 (Supplement)

Healthy Land And Cheerful Homes For Taranaki Maoris

Apart from the development of privately owned pakeha land, considerable changes for the better are taking place in native properties throughout Taranaki. The greatest scope in this direction at the present time is in the Egmont county where supervisors of the Native Department, with the active co-operation of the Maoris, are transforming large areas of poor non-productive land into profitable dairy farms. Right throughout the province, schemes of development are simultaneously in progress. At Oaonui, Okaiawa and

Opunake in South Taranaki, a total of 460 acres has already been brought into production or is in the , developmental stages. In the North Taranaki area, a total of 654 acres has been cleared or grassed to support 304 dairy cows, the scenes of operation being Pungarehu, Puniho. Rahotu, Tikorangi and Urenui In addition to land clearance, ploughing, sowing, stocking, subdividing and draining, the department has concerned itself closely with the health of the native population by providing new homes of modern type and reconditioning existing houses. Building operatione

have also been extended to the farms, in the ereetioii of ' up-to-date cowsheds and other necessary farm buildings. New Homes Built '' Meanwhile, the native farmers of Taranaki are doing their share in the national war effort. Where latids have been improved to a point where production can go ahead ..amazing results have been achieved. For example, last season (193940) the increase in primary production from native owned farms increased over 50 per cent. on the previous season and in many cases the increase rose to 100 and 150 per cent. It is estimated that for the present season (1940-41), these excellent returns will be improved upon still further on developed lands as the effect of liberal applications of fertiliser becomes apparent. Moreover, additional schemes will commence this season, so the production from these acres will be added to that of the farms nearing full production.