Maori Purposes Fund Board, H.R. Balneavis, in Wellington on 12 November 1935. Roretana, on Balneavis’ instructions, gathered quotes for the costs of building materials.⁴⁸ The marae also supplied Balneavis with £38 to be held in the Maori Purposes Fund.⁴⁹

In February 1936 the marae went ahead and ordered the building supplies they required. Balneavis was surprised by this move and replied:

I have to state that the incurring of expense for the timber required for this proposed Meeting-house should not have been made until the Board had considered the Natives application for a subsidy and until a grant had actually been made.

As you have guaranteed this account, I think payment of the sum £38 should be made to you, but I am unable to do this at present as a resolution requires to be passed by the Board before that sum can be paid out of the Maori Purposes Fund. Such a resolution cannot be passed until the Board meets about the middle of March next year, at which meeting the application by the Natives for a subsidy will also come up for consideration.⁵⁰

By March 1937 the marae had yet to receive a reply from the fund board. Roretana spoke to Langstone, a Member of Parliament who was visiting the area. Langstone was sympathetic to the marae’s predicament and agreed with Roretana that ‘the £38 which the Tauwhao have had on deposit in the Maori Purposes Fund since Dec 18^th 1935 (receipt No 95) be sent to pay the enclosed bill.’⁵¹ The Native Affairs Department also wrote to Balneavis inquiring about the Tauwhao funds. Balneavis stated that at past meetings the fund board did not have sufficient funds to grant a subsidy, and that the matter had been deferred until the next meeting where the board would then pay the £38 plus the subsidy amount to the timber company to cover the total cost of the building materials.⁵²

Balneavis by this stage appears to have been thoroughly embarrassed by the board’s inability to repay the marae’s money. At no stage during this entire business was interest on the marae’s money mentioned. By October 1937 Kelso informed Balneavis that he and Roretana had personally paid the £13 extra owed to the timber company, and requested that the £38 being held on their behalf be paid direct to the timber company.⁵³ Kelso suggested that if a subsidy was approved in the future it could be used to pay for interior fittings for the house. Balneavis once again responded with an apologetic letter, saying that while the fund board had resolved to pay the £38 to the timber company, it was unable to provide a subsidy.⁵⁴

Roretana, who was still corresponding with government departments in the early 1950s, wrote to the Minister of Lands raising two matters of concern:

In the matter of a Maori Burial ground of 1886-1927 approximately 1 acres situated at what is known as Bowen Town Domain Reserve. It is the desire of the Local Sub-Tribe (Tauwhaao) to have this Area officially recognised and defined.

⁴⁸ Balneavis to Tukumaru Roretana, 18 December 1935, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington

⁴⁹ Balneavis to Kelso, 18 December 1935, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, N A Wellington

⁵⁰ Balneavis to Kelso, 12 February 1936, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington

⁵¹ Roretana and Kelso to Balneavis, 15 March 1937, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington [p 5]

⁵² Balneavis to Minister of Native Affairs, 17 June 1937, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington

⁵³ Kelso to Balneavis, 18 October 1937, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington [pp 8-9]

⁵⁴ Balneavis to Kelso, 18 November 1937, MA 1 26/9/9/5 Katikati, NA Wellington