NATIVE DEPARMENT ESTIMATES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12392, 13 December 1909, Page 5

NATIVE DEPARMENT ESTIMATES.

(By Telegraph.) (From Our Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, December 11. The Estimates of the Native Department were discussed in the House in

the early part of this morning. The total vote amounted to £20,179 against £30,840 expended last year. On the fii\st item Departmental £2,005 Mr Herries called attention to the starving of the Native Land Court. Five instead of ten Judges were being provided for. He suggested that the native assessors should be done away with. This s would mean a saving of £2,000 per ani num. , Mr V. H Reed (Bay of Islands) , agreed with tlie previous speaker that the assessors were a needless expense, because the Court commanded the confidence of the natives without them. j The Native replied tha}t I every Department had had to retrench | and this had been done very carefully. | The assessors were necessary in dealing j with fresh lands, but he would disS pense with them when the Court dealt ' '.vith sub-divisions. This would effect a saving of £3,000 per annum. There were 200 appeals pending. He believed that if the new Act was passed this session, the work of the Maori lands settlement would be so much extended that another Judge or two might be necessary. He would rather let the Maori Land Boards ease off the work of the Judges by making the former Commisioner hear succession and partition cases, leaving the more serious work to the Native Land Court Judges, than, do away with the Boards. He had once thought of substituting the old Rehearing Court for the Validation Court, but everyone interested in the matter would not relinquish the Validation Court. The Hon. A. T. Ngata said it was right that every effort should be made to improve the efficiency of the Native Land Courts. It was quite a fallacy to imagine that there could be stationary Courts. He opposed the theory that there should be no appeal to the appelate Court from a Native Land j Court on questions of fact. Fully 90 ! per cent, of the appeals were on questions of fact. j Dr Te Rangiheroa expressed astonishment at the sum of £650 which was I voted for Maori Councils. The func- j tions of the Councils were of a very ,' i important character. They looked after ' ! the health of the natives. Mr Parata protested against the same thing. The Maoris were entitled to just as much attention so far as their health was concerned as the Europeans. Sometimes he was inclined to think that the Department's attitude could be summed ;up in these words: " Oh, it does not matter; they are only Maoris."—(Mem- < bers, " No.") —He protested also against vhe reduction of the amount set aside for medical attendance for Maoris. In the South Island under specific pro- | raises the Maoris had certain rights, j and they should get medical attention, i Speaking with much heat, Mr Parata declared that the Southern Maoris had given a large area of land for a small sum, and very little consideration they now received. j