THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 140, 13 October 1870, Page 7

THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT.

From a return laid on the table of the House of Representatives of the annual expenditure for the past three years of the Native Department, including all s ilaries paid to officials, and all gifts and bonuses paid or distributed during that period to natives, we extract the following items :: — ■ For the three years, ending 31st of May, there was paid for

Being a sum of over £72,000. In salaries alone, the country pays the large amount of £18,000 a year for the Maori establishment, being as large a sum as the Ofcago police force costs the province. The above returns must fall far short of the actual expense entailed upon the country by the natives — none of the war expenses being included, and we doubt whether all the sugar and blankets distributed by the native ministers during the war are included in the list, seeing they are more likely to be classed amongst defence expenses.

Salaries - - - £53,030 0 Food - 4,727 7 Clothing - - - 1,055 15 Pra veiling expenses - 4,233 18 Medical comforts - - 1,029 9 Bonuses, gifts, &g. - 3,340 9 Buildings - - - 1,383 12 Advertising & printing - 318 7 Fuel and light - 276 6 Office expenses & contingencies 353 0 Miscellaneous - - 757 1 Expenses native elections 233 0 Roads in native districts 547 14 Survey Chatham Islands 330 10 8 7 9 4 8 1 7 7 1 0 5 0 6 7