G.—lo

The Native Trustee is actively farming on 50,000 acres, sixteen sheep and cattle stations — one near Te Kuiti, three in the Wellington province, and twelve in the Gisborne Maori Land Board District. Most of the stations are well equipped with buildings and general improvements ; they are well stocked, and their own requirements in both sheep and cattle are bred. The live-stock tallies at 31st .March, 1944, were 31,700 breeding-ewes, 34,900 dry sheep, and 7,300 run cattle. In addition to the above properties, the field organization of the Department supervises mortgaged lands and Native estates in respect of which the Native Trustee has been appointed administrator or trustee. At 31st March, 1944, there were 374 loan accounts covering investments, mostly farming propositions, totalling £387,000. The three Maori Land Board stations, embracing 31,000 acres — Anaura and Waiorongomai (Gisborne) and Morikau (Wanganui) —were carrying an aggregate stock of 18,400 breeding-ewes, 11,600 dry sheep, and 3,300 run cattle. The Anaura Station is in a sound position, a dividend of £1,400 having been paid last year to the beneficiaries. Excellent feed conditions and a buoyant stock-market contributed to a very good farming year. Despite short staffing, which is accentuated by the rough state of the country, the riding distances involved, and the cold, wet climate, progress is recorded on the Waiorongomai Station in the programme for painting and renovating the station buildings and repairing the fences. This station made an investment in the Liberty Loan. Prom the Morikau Station, at the request of the beneficiaries, a further amount of £2,390 was paid to the war loans, bringing the total contributions to £7,390, of which £3,000 was voluntarily loaned free of interest. A successful year is reported; and the property has been maintained to the maximum capacity of the available staff, difficulty having been experienced in securing adequate labour. The following table indicates the measure of assistance granted from Maori. Land Board funds to individual Native settlers for the purpose of financing their farming operations:—•

EAST COAST NATIVE TRUST LANDS The Board of Native Affairs exercises control over the financial operations of the East C'oast Trust lands, which are administered by the East Coast Commissioner. Ranging from Tolaga Bay in the north to Wairoa in the south, and extending to Mahia Peninsula, the total area of the Trust comprises 224,319 acres plus 1,203 acres leased from the Tairawhiti District Maori Land Board, making a total of 225,522 acres. This is divided into two portions — the East Coast Native Trust lands containing 116,613 acres, and the Mangatu Trust embracing 108,909 acres. Sheep and cattle farming is undertaken on a large portion of the land, which is divided into twenty-three stations aggregating 147,597 acres; a further section of 55,422 acres is cut up into some twenty-five farms which are leased; and there is a balance area of 22,318 acres still undeveloped. The outstanding feature in connection with the farming operations is the lack of teamsters, as a result of which a very large number of draught horses have been idle throughout the year. This has affected the number of stock carried through the winter, and more particularly the number of sheep and lambs fattened. The stock tallies were 77,000 breeding-ewes, 68,000 dry sheep, 6,000 breeding-cows, 12,000 other cattle, and 727 horses. The wool sold for the 1943-44 season amounts to 3,650 bales, an increase of 179 bales; the live-stock proceeds were 61,000 sheep (£55,200) and 4,300 cattle (£30,500). The outside investments of the Trust, aggregating £4.1,666, comprise: War Loan, £33,345; Liberty Bonds, £1,800; inscribed stock, £6,521.

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Total Advances to Native , T , Board. Settlers under Mortgage U ' T1 er 0 as at 31st March, 1944. mortgagors. £ Tokerau .. .. 2,532 3 Waikato-Maniapoto .. 4,847 17 *Waiariki .. ... 6,944 21 Tairawhiti ,. .. 66,842 235 Aotea . .. .. 32,970 • 59 Ikaroa .. .. .. 27,989 43 South Island .. 5,363 9 Totals .. .. 147,487 387 * In addition, £73,063 is invested in farm properties (Taheke, Tihiotonga, and Waikawa).