MAORI SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 3 October 1946, Page 2

MAORI SOCIAL CONDITIONS

-Bress Association

PREVIOUS REPORT CORREOTED

Bv Telearavh-

WELLINGTON, Oct. ti. ' ' Statements ascribed to me yesterday with regard to the Maoris and liquor were not made by me as stated but were an extract from an informal unofficial draft of a memorandum explaining the provisions of the Maori Social and Eeonomic Advaneement Act, 1943," said Mr. Rangi Royal tonight. "It was an observation upon the condition which obtained some ten years ago and was referred to to show the way the Maori people had travelled and to that extent to act as a guide to future liabits. The stateinent is takeu from what was said by the late Mr. H. Tai Mitchell in 1936 when advocating tlie appointment of Maori wardeus to suppress excessive drinking ainong his people," said Mr. Royal. Renioved from its context and expressed as an independent and compiete stateinent, it made him appear to say sometliing contrary to the actual position as he found it to exist today and entirely opposite to what the words were intended to convey as part of tlie meinorandum, Mr. Royal said. A refutation of the alleged stateinent, if such were needed, was to be found in the iigures showing collections by the Native Department, respectiug repayments by Maoris of loans under the Maori Housing Act, 1935, and its ainendnxents. Since operations commenced under that Act £420,8-17 had been lent to Maori borrowers and at March 31, collections of interest and principal amounting to £231,029, or 55 per cent., had been made. Tliese Iigures certainly disclosed that the Maori was applying his income to a useful purpose and one calculated to promote his social advaneement.