PACT MUST REMAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1949, Page 8

PACT MUST REMAIN

■Press AssocicCtion)

Mr. Fraser Meets Followers Qf King Koroki

(Per

WELLINGTON, Marci 30. Betw^en 4Q0" and 500 Maoris, representing tribes in tfte Waikato, King Countiy, Taranaki, TinyharetOia, and Wainui- a-Roa, ctssembled before Parliament House this morning to ineet the Prime Minister (Mr. Praser) the Attorney-Generai (Mr. JVfasQn), ^nd thp Miai.ster represpnting thp Maori race on the Executive Gouncil (Mr. Tirakatene) . The depv.tation, which was the greatest demonstration of the Maori King Movement's unity to assemhie in Wellington since 1883, was led by King Koroki and Princess Te Puef Herangi. • The objective was to urge upon the Prime Minister tKe preservation of what is referred to as " a sacred papt ' ' designed to exelude liquor lieences from the King Country. There was a pieturesque ceremony when the Maoris gathered at the entrance to Parliament House, as several of the elders using ancient ritual removed thp tapu fjom the House. As the lengthy proeession moved slowly atong the corridor to the soeial hall the old cry of the karanga was heard from the women. The social hall was so crpwded" that many Maoris had to seat themselves on the fiOor. Mr, Tita Wetere, who read a statement on hehalf of King Koroki, informed the Prime Minister that, while he was absent from Kew Zealand, a great injury had been inflicted upon the Maori people. "The solemn pact of the Crown with our fathers was ignored and thus insulted," said the' gtatement. ' 'Also, your own word given in 194b was briished aside as of no account. Your word was that you supported the policy of consultation and cooperation with the leaders of the Maori people, hefore any change in the licensing laws was made." The speaker said that the Licensing Bill had been rushed- through Parliament, though it had contained provisions that affected "the very founclations of our spiritual and social lii'e, and of our bodily health, and yet we were not consulted in any way.." Learning of what was deseribed as "a catastrophe, ' ' certain elders had rushed to Wellington and had seen the Deputy-Prime Minister (Mr. Nash) and the Select Committee of the House. "They were received very politely," continued the statement, "but the book had been closed before their arrival. ' ' The statement added that recognised tribal lead'ers had thus beeu by-passed in the Prime Minister 5s absence under tke guise of m'odern pakeha Democracy, which could only have bgen adopted, the Maori King bplieved, in the hope of breaking the pact by establishing open lieences. "It was felt, therefore, .that Cabinet had been b,adly advised as to natural Maori reaction to the policy adopted, unless,,; continued the statement, "it was intended to create again rifts rather than obtain eohesion. "We nnderstand that the decision means that chartered clubs will bp permitted, " said the statement in reference to the recent referendum, ' ' but not with open lieences. Aiso that the pakeha and Maori will stand on an absolutely equal basis in this and all

other licensing matters. We are not oppo^ed to reasonable private facilities for law-abiding persons, but both for traditional and praetical reasons we eling passionately to the no-licence elause of the past and cannot agree to club ' off-sales'. " Mr. Fraser inquired how many members of the deputation' were actua! residents in the King Country. At his suggestion a* show of hands was taken, and Mr. Fraser remarked: '-'Al^out 7b per eent. The fact that tribes not resident in the King Countiy were ( represented, " said Mr. Fraser, "indicated that the whole issue was one of national and not merely local signilieance." » At the, conclusion of the reading o^ the statement the Prime Minister took strong exception to one of its phrases which declared that the Licensing Commission had been "heavily weighted" on the side of the liqupr trade. "The best of good eauses are often spoilt by unfair or inaccurate staternents, " said Mr. Fraser when asking that the sentence in question should be withdrawn. Mr. Fraser denied that the Commission's personnel had been weighted. Only two members of the Commission had been eoneerned with the liquor trade, one directly and the other indireetly. "Sueh a statement is untrue, and I want an apology, " declared the Prime Minister. "I regret that it has been printed which show* deliberation. In common fairness it should be withdrawn." Mr. Winiata 's deelaration that the reference, which had been framed possibly in a moment of heat, would be nnreservedly withdrawn, was greeted with applause. The Prime Minister said he could not fecollect a single representation for a Maori representative on the Commission. If there had been, he said, one would have been appointed. The Prime Minister also took exception to a statement that "grave injury had been donp tovthe Maori people" in his absence. What his colleagues had done, he said, he had approved. As for the pact, he believed that the Commission had made an honest attempt in obtaining historical research as to its origin, and he did not doubt that when it was entered into the spirit of Sir George Grey ahd King Tawhiao and other leadefs, pakeha and Maori, was strongly in evidence. A small Maori majority had decided according to law that the pact should be continued at the referendum, but it had to be remembered that the pact had been entp.red into when the King Country people were feeling the first full implieations of the pakeha impaet, and it was a fact 'that it had not kept either ' liquor or sly-grog selling out of that area. The Government had been faeed by a clamorous agitation from pakehas now in the King Country and a section' of Maoris for a revision. It was a difficult situation because the Maoris themselves were not united. tt was the Government 's duty- to legislate in the interests of all ppople, Maori and pakeha alike. , Tlie ligures at the poll had revpaled, said the Prime Minister, that a considerable se'etion of the Maoris had been in favour of licensing, but according to the decision of 23 Maori votes against lieences, the majority rule had' upheld the pact. "It was a small majority," he said, "but it was nevertheless a majority." He claimed that the people had been consulted on the issue in. th'e mostdemocratic manner possible, and he asked the Maori people not to put the clock back. The Prime Minister could not aecept the view that it liad done wrong in granting a referendum. His own view was that the Maori people had to oe trusted. The recent decision by thfe people had to be accepted by the Govprnment. "A vote. was taken and a decision was made," Mr. Fraser coucluded. "I will leave the mattter there."