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PART I.—STATE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES The provisions of Part I of the Native Land Amendment Act, 1936, which repealed and replaced section 522 of the Native Land Act, 1931, authorize the Board of Native Affairs toi advance State funds for the purpose of developing the lands of the Maori people and for assisting them in farming 1 ventures. Although other means of finance are available, the State development schemes are by far the most extensive. For administrative purposes, schemes and farms are grouped in areas coinciding with the Maori Land Board .and Native Land Court Districts and detailed supervision of farms is undertaken from the Department's five district offices, with assistance from the eighteen sub-offices located in more remote localities. It may be stated that in the main there are four classes or kinds of schemes which come under the heading of State development schemes, viz.— (1) Land-development schemes, which have for their object the breaking-in or development for ultimate settlement of blocks or compact areas of Native land. This is the first stage, when the area is run as a station until conditions are suitable for subdivision. (2) Unit development schemes or settlers' farms, for further developing small holdings already settled or being farmed by Maori individuals or families. This is the second stage of development, when an advance is made to the individual farmer (unit). (3) Base farms, which have been established for the purpose of assembling,. holding, and distributing live-stock to surrounding schemes and for change pastures. (4) Bulk Schemes: Facilities for the interim holding and later distribution of bulk purchases of farm requirements, or ventures such as extensive post- and batten-splitting undertakings. Before any land owned or occupied by Maoris is gazetted or brought under the. provisions of Part I of the Native Land Amendment Act,. 1936, the Board of Native Affairs requests that a meeting of assembled owners be held and, a resolution passed agreeing to the proposal, or some such evidence of agreement be obtained. Following this, the procedure usually adopted is to organize man-power, if possible from the owners of the land, but otherwise from unemployed Maoris, on contracts upon the area for all kinds of work,, such as _ clearing bush, scrub, fern, and noxious weeds, ploughing, fencing, draining, sowing grass-seed, and manuring. On the whole, good' value has been obtained in the past for expenditure on contract work. When the development is sufficiently complete, including the provision of a home, cowshed, and other necessary buildings on a section, the owners are given an opportunity, before the Native Land Court, of recommending one of their number, or some other person, as the nominated occupier or unit of the section. The Board of Native Affairs makes the nomination upon the recommendation of the Court. Once a unit has been settled, the field officers have their greatest task ahead of them, as they must be prepared to advise the Maori farmer, who, while he may be easy to handle and in need of comparatively little instruction in breaking in country, is for the most part ignorant of the finer points of farming. Further, when development is at this stage the land is bearing its heaviest burden, in that it is expected to provide a livelihood for the unit, to* make provision for maintenance of the security, and to provide capital for the completion of development. The Department has in the field a supervisory staff of forty-three officers whose work is co-ordinated by a'Chief Supervisor. In addition, there are ten foremen and overseers, the latest appointment being that of a dairy foreman

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