THE MAORI AND HIS LAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 153, 10 September 1941, Page 4

THE MAORI AND HIS LAND

steadily in and may even do Something. However, there is need for the public to be vigilant to sec Hint still greater efforts are made by the Stale to settle more and ix ore Maoris on the lands, of their ancestors. As the BEACON has reminded us, there are a great manv young Bay of Plenty Maoris now overseas with the Maori Battalion, and when the war is Q-ver there will be the opportunity to give them good chances of settling on land in their own district. Let us hope this will be done, and done in a manner that Avill give satisfaction to all concerned. From reading the Beacon t gather that a hundred or more local Maoris are now overseas, so it is just as well foi- us "stay-at-homes" to get busy and see that there is land for all of them when they come home. We don't want them to becomc labourers 011 the Public Works, living in tents and shack.?., or other jobs that do not lead to I home-making. No, as the Beacon has pointed out, now is the time ior people of this district to think about giving back to the young generation of Maoris as much of their ancestral lands as they can farm. I hope the Beacon will not let the matter rest. It is a vital matter for the Bay of Plenty and its people, both Maori and Pakeha. Yours etc., WELL WISHER.

(We have to thank otir correspondent for his enthusias\ic endorsement of the views expressed in our leader of Friday last and in ing up the matter further we have ascertained that his guess, of OTe hundred Matatua soldiers serving overseas is well below the mark. Actually there are 210 from this district alone. The question therefore of rehabilitating the bulk 0/ these men and making the best of army discipline before it is dissipated by a few months of aimlessness assisted by the. spending of gratuity money is one which will have to !»e dealt with by those interested in restoring the land to the Maoris capable of and willing to farm it. There will be splendid material to work on, and all that it requires to make the idea a successful one is a vigorous settlement scheme which will assist the men towards better living standards and independence. Ed.)

Sir—The BEACON is to be commended for its editorial on Fridav rlrawing attention to the need formore land being made available for Maori farmers. No doubt the Government of the day and succeeding Governments will "keep this mattec

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