MAORI EX-SERVICEMEN WANT LAND

Chronicle (Levin), 9 August 1946, Page 2

MAORI EX-SERVICEMEN WANT LAND

— Press Association

Teleyraph-

HAoIIiNvjoj Aug. o. "Timo and time again 1 havc heard the plodge given by the Prime Minister and other members of tlie Government to the men upon thcir return honio from scrvice overseas that. this counti'y will through its rehabilitation, give theni land, houstjs, and good pennanent jobs, and it is to see that this pledge is lionoured so far as the Maori soldicrs are eoncerned that I have agreed to retuvn to the politieal field," stated Sir Apirana Ngata in an address in Hastings last evening in furthcrance of his campaign for the Eastern Maori clectorate. "1 want Parliament- now to set aside £5,000,000 for the rehabilitation of the Maori returned soldiers," deelared feiv Apirana Ngata. "What will we do with it? 1 have just finislied a seven weeks' tour und evcrywhero it is oue timo — something about land. Mith their pakeha soldier friends the Maori soldior, too, wants his land and want.s it just as muc.h as the pakeha." Sir Apirana Ngata explained that the I'ailure of the rehabilitation scheme so far 'as Maori land settlement was eoncerned was due to the faet that the tape measure to get assi.stance from the ytate Advances C'orporation was a pakeha measure. It was a measure quite all right for the pakeha, but too stifT for the Maori. for the pakeha and the Mabri ideas of eeonomy in expenditure ■ au4>.«iommnnit.y dif.0 (li'l not agree, and e-onld not be reckoned by the samo measure.