H.—llA.

Sustenance payments are not regarded as being in the real interests of the Maori, and that form of relief is not introduced except in very special cases where such a course is unavoidable. Unless the whole circumstances are reported to the Secretary and approval obtained from him, sustenance may not be granted to Natives. The payment of sustenance to Natives is effected by way of one-third jn cash and two-thirds in orders for rations, rent, &c., both proportions being to the nearest shilling. In order to enable the recipient to purchase goods at more than one store or to use part of his allowance for the purchase of groceries and part for the payment of rent, two or even three separate orders may be issued each week. The orders are negotiable with storekeepers, who may not pay cash to the recipient to satisfy the unexpended portion of the order. If this were not provided against, the whole purpose of the system would be rendered nugatory. Storekeepers endorse on the back of the negotiated orders details of goods supplied, with the prices charged. As only district employment officers deal with the issue of ration orders to Natives, registrations under certifying officers are transferred to bureaux in charge of district employment officers, but the certifying officers continue to act as reporting officers for the purpose of receiving the weekly declarations of income and transmitting them to the district employment officer. Natives are employed on Scheme No. 5 under the same conditions as Europeans, but if Natives so employed are found to be misapplying their relief earnings the Secretary may direct that part of the earnings be paid by the issue of ration orders. In some cases, where relief employment is provided for Natives by local bodies, the men's time, according to their conjugal classification, is made up to the nearest half-day above their allocation, the whole cost being borne by the Fund. In other cases the local body supplements the wages of the men by at least one day's work each week at a minimum of 16s. per day in addition to making up the men's times where necessary to the nearest complete half-day. As far as practicable, the Native Department endeavours to find work for all unemployed Maoris, and that Department's supervisors engage all their labour through Government employment bureaux. With regard to those Natives employed as relief workers on contract work through the Native Department, the contracts are based on the public-works rate of 16s. per day for both single and married men for full-time work. At the completion of each contract the men are required to stand down for a period so that their earnings over the whole period (including the stand-down) will average out at the following special relief rates :— Per Week. s. d. Single men .. .. .. • • • • .. 30 0 Married, with up to five children .. ... .. .. 60 0 Married, with up to six children . . .. .. .. 62 6 Married, with up to seven or more children .. .. .. 66 6 The above scale is higher than the usual relief rates, and has been adopted because Natives engaged on contract work are not paid for sickness or wet time, and in addition are generally required to provide their own tools. Private income (but not private earnings) of the Native (and his wife) is taken into account in assessing the stand-down. A similar system is sometimes used with regard to employment with local bodies —e.g., in one instance married Natives only are employed five days per week at 16s. per day. At the end of six weeks they stand down two weeks or less, so that their relief earnings for eight weeks will coincide with that allowed by the special Native scale. The Employment Fund finances the scheme to the extent of £3 per man per week, and the local body supplements this by amounts ranging from ss. to 10s. per week to make up the earnings to the desired amount. Maori youths seventeen to nineteen years of age may register for placement on Native Department relief contracts. Their eligibility is determined in the same manner as other Maoris, and on the completion of contracts their stand-down period is assessed on a scale of 20s. per week. These youths are not required to pay the registration levy, and generally are not eligible for assistance under any other relief scheme. Maori farmers, whether or not their land has been brought under the Native Land Amendment Act, 1936, are not permitted to register for relief. Assistance may, however, be provided by the Native Department. Full time work schemes are provided by the Native Departments as under : — (1) Development scheme contracts comprising works on the Native Department's schemes which are financed by the State. (2) Assistance to units —i.e., Native farmers, where land has been brought under the Native Land Amendment Act, 1936—similar to that provided under the small-farms development scheme. (3) Indigent housing scheme for Natives, where approval is given to utilize registered unemployed Maoris as builders' labourers. (4) Private contracts comprising works on all other Native lands including Maori Land Board, Native Trust, and East Coast Commissioner's stations. These schemes, although the necessary finance is provided from the Employment Promotion Fund, are regarded as ordinary full-time employment, and therefore the names of Natives engaged thereon are removed from the unemployment register. No stand-down period such as is imposed

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