NATIVE LAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1940, Page 4

NATIVE LAND

HOMEWOOD DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

ABSORPTION OF UNEMPLOYED.

PERMANENT WORK IN PROSPECT AS FARMERS.

“The land is very suitable and the scheme is likely to be most satisfactory,” said Mr J. Robertson, M.P.. referring to the Homewood Native Land Development Scheme, under which an area of 2455 acres of Native land a! Homewood, on the East Coast was to be developed.

Mr Robertson said that included in the area were a number of sections which were at present leased to pakehas. The scheme was to be proceeded with immediately and those leases which were due to expire in a year or so would not be renewed and the land would become part of the scheme. The land was suitable for sheep and dairying, though dairying would be developed later. There were good flats and undulating country in the area. The scheme would immediately take up a good deal of the Maori unemployed in the district, including men at Homewood and some from around Masterton. It was maintained, said Mr Robertson, referring to the general principles underlying the scheme, that it was far better to give the Maoris work which would have some meaning to them than to employ them in other ways. This scheme would give them useful work in the meantime and in the future would provide permanent employment for many of them as farmers.

Passing on to refer to the housing problem, Mr Robertson said steps were in hand to tackle this matter. During this week a visit would be paid to Homewood by officers of the Native and Public Works Departments, with a view to proceeding immediately with the erection of seven houses for married couples with a child. These houses would be erected by Native carpenter:* under Public Works Department supervision. This plan had been followed in other parts of New Zealand with great success and the Maoris became quite competent carpenters. It was possible that further accommodation might be provided for single men. He took it that if this were done, the accommodation would be on the lines of that being provided for single men on farms under the Emergency Agriculture regulations.