G—9

Expenditure from Vote " Native" £ £ Salaries, general departmental administration, and purchase of equipment .. .. .. 194,970 Less recoveries from Native Trustee, Maori Land Boards, and Miscellaneous .. .. .. 35,401* 159,569 Grants for Native purposes.. .. .. .. •• 104,612 Protection of Native land .. .. .. •• •• 11,163 275,344 * Includes Native Trustee's contribution for 1944-45, £12,200. NATIVE TRUSTEE For several years past the administration of the Native reserves vested in the Native Trustee under the Native Reserves Act, 1882, the Westland and Nelson Native Reserves Act, 1887, and the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892, has been almost completely carried out by the Wellington and Wanganui district offices, in which districts the majority of the beneficiaries reside. This decentralization was brought about to give the beneficiaries closer contact with those administering their affairs, and, with the same end in view, it is now proposed to delegate the greater part of the Native Trust operations to the district offices. Section 3of the Native Purposes Act, 1945, enables the Native Trustee to delegate to any Registrar of the Native Land Court any of the powers, functions, and duties conferred or imposed upon him by any statute, deed, will, or other instrument. As a result of such delegation, estates and mortgages will be dealt with by officers who have a personal knowledge of the people and the lands affected. Some 221 new estates of various types were accepted for administration during the year, and the amount held on behalf of beneficiaries at the end of the year was approximately £207,500. Investments from the Common Fund of the Native Trustee amounted to approximately £735,000, but some difficulty is being experienced in finding other suitable investments at present. The free services of the Department in the administration of the estates of deceased Maori servicemen have been widely made use of, and assistance is now being given in the matter of gratuities. A notice setting out the method of application was circulated to all next-of-kin, and as the applications are received from Base Records they are referred to the Native Land Court in the appropriate district. The Court inquires into the facts and merits of each aplication for the information and guidance of the Minister of Defence in deciding to whom the gratuity in respect of the service of the deceased soldier shall be paid. Details of the year's activities on the Native Trust Stations are contained in parliamentary paper G-10. NATIVE INTERPRETERS BOARD OF EXAMINERS Eight students qualified for a first-grade interpreter's license last year, all candidates sitting the examination having passed. This is the largest number of passes recorded for many years. One candidate sat the examination whilst a prisoner of war in Germany. Of the eight who sat for the license, three were Europeans and five Maoris,

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