G.—lo.

especially the soils of the pumice belt, and had already mapped out the area where the Horohoro, Guthrie, and Ngakuru development schemes are now in operation. The Horohoro scheme was launched at that part of the Horohoro Block, which scientific opinion at that time declared to be reasonably healthy for cattle. So far as the Native Department was concerned, the need was urgent for selecting an area of cheap land of sufficient extent with good road access and within easy reach of a township such as Rotorua as a base for supplies. The Arawa Trust Board and the Waiariki Maori Land Board had sought to interest sections of the Arawa Tribe in farming, the former at Maketu and the latter at Taheke and Tihiotonga. Units of the tribe were farming at Te Puke, Pukehina, and Rotoiti. Much more needed to be done to promote a land-settlement psychology among the tribe, and to demonstrate the possibilities of the extensive region they owned and occupied. Early in 1929 strong representations were made by the Maoris of the Wairoa (Hawke s Bay) District asking for an opening for some of their young men to establish themselves on land. There was at the time no opening in their own district, and they expressed their willingness to migrate to any other part of the Dominion, if so required. Delegates from the district accompanied me in the inspection of the Taupo and "Rotorua lands, during which the Horohoro Block was inspected and provisionally selected for a Native-land-development venture. Twelve months, however, elapsed before legal steps could be taken to launch the scheme. It was necessary to secure legislation during the session of 1929, and this adopted with modifications the provisions of the Land Amendment Bill, which created an organization under the Minister of Lands for the development and preparation for settlement of suitable Crown lands. The Policy of the Native-land Legislation of 1929. The scheme of the Native-land legislation was framed for the conditions prevailing at the time, and was built round a study of the possibilities of such areas as Horohoro. It was necessary, in the first place, to obtain undisputed control of such an area, and this could be achieved only with the good will of the owners thereof. It was necessary to make a careful selection from among the owners of the men to develop and farm the land, and yet to permit of the introduction of an outside colony of men experienced in all branches of farm work, with the prospect of making farms and homes for themselves. It was thought that if there was room for a judicious mixture of owners and selected immigrants a spirit of friendly rivalry and emulation would be introduced, on which could be founded the next element in the organization of the scheme —namely, the determination of a scale of wages for day or piece work on a bare sustenance basis while preparing the land for subdivision and settlement. The founding of the Horohoro scheme was an appeal to the spirit of adventure with which the Maori branch of the Polynesian race is well endowed, and to the pioneering spirit without which the development of the second-class lands of the Dominion will prove too costly an undertaking. Every man selected to try his fortune on the Horohoro Block was made conscious that both he and the virgin land were upon trial. What may be termed the Horohoro system was thus conceived, and has been extended and applied to other areas in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty districts and to other Maori land districts, wherever development has been undertaken on unoccupied or sparsely occupied lands. The characteristics of the system are the selection from the beginning of development workers on a guarantee of allotment, if they prove satisfactory and the land is found to be suitable ; the carrying-out of all work under a foreman, a good leader, subject to the control of the Farm Supervisor ; the adoption of a scale of wages for day or piece work on a sustenance basis ; and the organization of work and the supply of material, with the objective of securing minimum cost with reasonable efficiency, so as to leave a margin of security between the cost of development and the value created thereby. Summary of Development Schemes in the Waiariki District. Subdivided according to the tribes affected, the following is a summary of the schemes in operation in the Waiariki Maori Land District at the 31st March, 1932

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Expenditure. Area. , re \, To i To developable. g lst 31st March, 1931. 1932. I 1. Tauranga: Ngai-te-rangi Tribe— A. R. p. a. £ £ Kaitimako and Hairini .. .. 778 0 0 778 Nil 1,565 2. Rotorua : Arawa Tribe — Horohoro — . ,, Ngati-Tuara ~1 f 5,03o 11,308 Kahungumi .. .. | | 6,162 12,277 SSSU :: :: \ 10 - m 0 0 ♦>"« ?:S »:S8 Waikaukau j • • Land purchases .... J I 1,774 10,896 0 0 I 6,150 18,512 34,114