Maori & Pakeha On Equal Basis As Frontiersmen

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 96, 8 June 1949, Page 5

Maori & Pakeha On Equal Basis As Frontiersmen

A Masterton remit aiming to facilitate the admission of Maoris to the ranks of the Legion of Frontiersmen occasioned considerable discussion at the, Legion’s Dominion conference at Whakatane on Saturday, but was finally ruled out by the Commandant as unnecessary, since there was in his opinion no diiTiciuiy about admitting suitable Maori members now.

The Masterton remit, introduced by Capt A. G-. Wallace, aimed to delete “European descent” from the stater.; ent of qualifications for membership in the declaration of allegiance. Capt Wallace said his squadron wanted to be sure a Maori candidate for membership, having ail the qualifications but that one, would not be turned down. The Commandant, Col. I. C. Findlater, levin, considered that as an incorporated body in New Zealand the New Zealand Command could make its own rules on that point, lie said he doubted if even headquarters in London fully understood the 'relationship between Maori and; Pakeha here.

Capt C. F. Thomas, Napier, pointed out. that the 1947 handbook gave the’ nationality qualification as “British by birth or naturalisation.” Surely a Maori was British? “If the selection committees dp their job properly we will get the men we want.” he added. He said he did not think the remit necessary at all. The Commandant ruled that, as pointed out by Capt Thomas “British by birth or naturalisation” covered Maoris. “They are good enough to fight beside us in two major wars,” he said, “and they should be good enough to have with us now.” The words “of European descent” no longer applied, unless there was conflict between the handbook and the wording of the Declaration of Allegiance. He regarded Maori candidates for membership as on an equal footing with pakeha. If became apparent in a somewhat protracted discussion that^the

cnly difficulty that might arise would crop up from the admission of unsuitable Maoris, but it was pointed out by a number of speakers that there was the same possibility with pakeha candidates and that undesirable pakehas had isn-. deed been admitted in the past. Lt. E. R. Hunt, Whakatane, said the handbook was quite clear about it, and if, Maoris were barred from membership there would be no Whakatane Squadron. , A Tauranga suggestion that candidates be approved by their tribal committees was admitted to have merit, but the concensus of opinion was that there should be no distinction whatever.

A suggestion from Frontiersman Brown, Rotorua, that Maoris should be admitted only as a Maori section attached to the Legion was howled down with loud cries of “No! No!” from various parts of the hall.

Sister Pritchard, of Gisborne, pointed out that, if there were undesirables amongst the Maoris today Europeans were partly responsible for it. “What they are depends on how they’re treated,” she said, “and it’s up to us to try to make up for what they’ve lost.”