G—lo

The Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee is comprised of the following members of the Rehabilitation Board:— The Under-Secretary of the Native Department; The Under-Secretary of the Lands Department; The Financial Adviser to the Government, — who are also members of the Board of Native Affairs, together with The Director of Rehabilitation; H. H. Rankin, Esq.; and E. L. Cullen, Esq., M.P. The Committee is thus enabled to implement in every detail the policies of the Rehabilitation Board and the Board of Native Affairs, whilst giving full and sympathetic consideration to the needs of Maori ex-servicemen. The total amount approved by the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee and administered by the Department up to the 31st March, 1946, for housing, tools of trade, furniture, establishment in businesses, and settlement on land was £201,570. In addition, the Department, under its own provisions, has authorized the expenditure of £6,601 for land-settlement and £18,871 for housing for Maori ex-servicemen. Properties have been purchased in various districts for the settlement of Grade " A " Maori ex-servicemen, but other offers of farms have been declined on account of their being uneconomic and unsuitable as single-unit holdings. In cases where properties purchased require further development, the nominated occupiers are placed on wages until such time as the properties are considered to have reached an economic stage. The policy of the Department is to ensure that Maori ex-servicemen seeking settlement on land are established on farms that are self-supporting. The following is the position concerning 'landsettlement : Approvals 'by the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee — Farms purchased .. .. .. 12 Number of ex-servicemen settled .. .. 13 Total amount authorized .. .. .. £96,249 Approvals by the Board of Native Affairs— Number of ex-servicemen settled .. .. 7 Total amount authorized .. .. .. £6,601 The total expenditure authorized by the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee for housing up to the 31st March, 1946, was £64,584, while the number of houses purchased, erected, repaired, or added to was eighty-two. The expenditure authorized by the Board of Native Affairs for the same period was £18,897 and the number of houses purchased, erected, repaired, or added to was thirty-three. Due to the irregular supply of building-materials and the shortage of trained carpenters, the number of houses completed is comparatively small in proportion to the number of applications approved by both the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee and the Board of Native Affairs. "With the increased number of trained personnel becoming available, the progress of the housing scheme is being considerably accelerated. In order that Maori ex-servicemen applying for furniture and tools-of-trade loans are enabled to purchase those articles without delay, the District Registrars, together with the District Rehabilitation Officers, have been empowered to approve provisionally of applications that may come before them. These approvals are later confirmed by the Maori Rehabilitation Finance Committee. The position at 31st March was— Number approved .. .. .. .. 64 Total amount approved .. .. .. £5,773 Full statistical tables are appended to this report.

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