NO DISCRIMINATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 174, 31 October 1941, Page 3

NO DISCRIMINATION

PARCELS DISTRIBUTED EVENLY Y.MLC.A. SECRETARY REPLIES Complaints of discrimination against the Maori Battalion in th« distribution of gilt parcels and comforts reported to> have been made by Maori officers who have returned to New Zealand, were replied to by Mr G. M. Briggs, senior Y.M.C.A. secretary, of the Second Echelon, who has been invalided liome. Mr Briggs was with the Second Echelon with which the Maori Battalion was attached during the Avhole time it was in the United Kingdom. He said that when the Second Echelon left New Zealand the transports had on board gift parcels intended for the First Echelon in the Middle East. Owing to the change in the international situation, the Second Echelon was diverted to England and the parcels went there also. "We distributed the parcels as best we could under the circumstances." continued Mir Briggs. "The Maoris received exactly the same proportion as the pakelias. At Christmastime a mobile fc tea canteen was allocated especially to the Maoris." Mr Briggs said from his own experience and observations, he would say unhesitatingly that the New Zealanders were treated better in the matter of comforts than any other troops overseas. No instance had come to his notice c<f any exception being made in the case of the Maori Battalion. In fact, the greatest regard Avas held for the Maoris. The Maoris were held in the highest esteem by the officers, and their ability as soldiers was widely recognised. The policy Avas to distribute the comforts equally among Maoris and pakehas.