Development of New Areas

Te Ao Hou, Winter 1952, Page 40

Development of New Areas Plan A: A considerable area of highly fertile Maori land suitable for market gardening, is lying idle and not paying rates. Should these areas pass into the hands of the Maori Trustee under section 34 of the Maori Purposes Act, 1950, and be offered for lease, for a sufficient period to repay the rates, the Maori owners will probably end up by being the employees of the lessees. It is

important that everything is done to prevent this. The Board of Maori Affairs is prepared to finance the development of areas suitable for market gardening, to build homes on these areas, and to put them into the hands of a suitable occupier approved by the owners and the Board of Maori Affairs. Conditions of loans will be: The land should be gazetted under Part I of the Maori Land Amendment Act, 1936. The owners should give security of tenure to the occupier. (This means: the owners should get at least a long-term lease.) The Department of Maori Affairs should supervise the cropping operations and the marketing. Bills of sale should be taken over chattels, crops and produce. Settlers established as croppers in this way are paid a living allowance of £6 per week until money comes in from sale of produce. Interest on advances will be at the rate of 4¾% and interest of 2½% will be allowed on loan accounts in credit. Commission will be charged at the rate of 5% on the gross proceeds of sales of crops handled by the department. Finance will be obtainable at short notice within the limits of a reasonable overdraft fixed beforehand.