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1947 NEW ZEALAND

NATIVE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1947

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave

The Under-Secretary, Native Department, to the Right Hon, the Minister of Maori Affairs. Sir, — Native Department, Wellington, 16th June, 1947. I have the honour to present herewith the annual report upon the activities of this Department, excluding Maori land development, Maori housing, and the rehabilitation of Maori ex-servicemen, which are dealt with in a separate report submitted by the Board of Native Affairs. The report covers the financial year ended 31st March, 1947. I have, &c., G. P. Shepherd, Under-Secretary and Native Trustee. The Right Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Maori Affairs.

GENERAL REPORT Apart from the normal functions of the Department, the more important matters attended to by it during the past year have been chiefly in connection with the settlement of outstanding Maori land claims in accordance with the policy of the Government. The Ngaitahu Trust Board Act, 1946, provided machinery for the administration of the moneys paid in the settlement of the Ngaitahu Claim—a claim that has been unsettled for over ninety years. The Ngaitahu Trust Board has been reconstituted under this Act, and will be ready to function shortly. The settlement of claims arising out of the confiscations of land following the Waikato War, and the establishment of the Tainui Maori Trust Board to administer the funds on behalf of the tribes concerned, have been provided for by the Waikato-Maniapoto Maori Claims Settlement Act, 1946. The Board is established and is functioning. It is pleasing to record the final settlement of this claim after negotiations extending over a very long period of years. Another long-standing claim settled during the year was that of the Whakatohea Tribe, of the Bay of Plenty. It concerned lands confiscated in their tribal area. Section 2 of the Finance Act, 1946, provided for the payment of a lump sum of £20,000 in final settlement of this claim. The investigation of other claims was also undertaken during the year. On the sth October, 1946, a Royal Warrant was issued appointing the Right Hon. Sir Michael Myers, P. 0., G.C.M.G., Mr. Hanara Reedy, and Mr. Albert Samuel to be a Commission to inquire into and report on the claims that had from time to time been made by the Maoris, particularly of the North Auckland district, concerning the lands which are commonly referred to as " surplus lands." The surplus lands arose from the purchases made by Europeans from the Maoris before sovereignty was proclaimed over New Zealand and also from purchases made pursuant to certain Proclamations put forth by Governor