Mr. Fraser Defends Recent Legislation

Chronicle (Levin), 14 July 1949, Page 10

Mr. Fraser Defends Recent Legislation

Press AssocUition) „

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WELLINGTON, July 13. "I do iiot object to anyone pointing out cases where excessive drinking .occurs, but I do object to exaggeration and distortion, ' ' said the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, in the House of Representatives this afternoon during a discus sion on his reply to a question asked by Mr W. H. Fortune (Eden) who" considered amending legislation should be brought down withdut delay to cope with ' 1 the very widespread public'.con cern at the alarming increase in the consumption of spiritous liquors by Maori women." Mr Fraser said there was no evidence to show that there was the excessive drinking in the home or in hotels where formerlv intoxicating liquors were not availabie' to Maori women, exeept those uiarried to pakeha husbands. He added. however, that Maori women were able to obtain strong drink if they wanted it even although law-breaking and the risk of penalties were involved. ' ' Lady welfare officers are of opinion that while they regard drinking among women as a serious evil, it is better that it should be done openly and where it can be controlled rather than in clandestine places accompanied by other dangers and evils," eontinued the Prinie Minister. "A recent check niade by Maori welfare ollicers and tribal committees, showed that in 184 hotels visited there were 253 Maori women drinking as against 1774 pakeha women. Mr Fraser said that safeguards to excessive drinking by Maoris, were contained in the -Maori Social and Econo mic Advancement Act. Legislation to give wardens and tribal committees extended powers for more elfective control, was under consideration. Mr Fortune said that the evidence ■ibtained by the Prime Minister did not bear out wliat actually was happeniug. The Licensing Aiuendment Act of 1948, so far as its application to Mauri women was concerned, was the most retrogressive that^ had been put on the statute book Xewspapers were full of reports of excessive drinlpng and leaders among the Maori people, Stipendiary Magistrates, social worlters and others, were greatly concerned over the excessivi. drinking. in view of the mass of eviI dence that was forthcoming, he thoughi | the Prime Minister and Governmenr, should look at the legislation again. He would not care to be a member of a Government that would allow such le" gislation to remam. | ' ' For the sake of Maori girls, Maor. women and the Maori people theinsel I ves, I pleud with the Prime Minister to lalter the legislation," said Mr Fortune. ! "The member fbr Eden has said he | people but he is ^criiicing them to ; make au attack oh the Government," | said Mr Fraser. when he yose -to defemi i his written reply to the question. Hsaid tliat Mr Turi Carroll, Nationu Party candidate for Eastern Maori — a man of sterling truth who had been a peysonal frieud of the Prime Ministe. for many years — had been reported i i the newspapers as. saying there hau oeen an linprovement in the situation conceriiing excessive drinking among Maori women because, prior to the leg islation being enacted, Maori drinking was driven underground and drink wataken in secreey which had led to all types of trouble. Mr Fraser said oue of the linest soldiers in New Zealand, Ma jor Rangi lioyal, had been responsibha for the coiupilation of the reports coilected from the welfare officers, which indicated that there was no excessive drinking as Opposition members and others had alleged. According to a sur vey taken in the north, no women ot either race had been seen drinking in Kaitaia 's six hotels during the periol on which the reports were based. Ten Maori and 30 European women hau drunk in Hokianga's 10 hotels, eight Maori and 40 European women in Whangarei 's 15 hotels, and in Auckland where -there were 56 hotels and a Maori population of about 9000, 91 Maori aiid 909 European women had been seen drinking. Mr A. S. Sutherland (Hauraki): There was no drinking in Prineess Te Puea's pa until the Government. orought down legislation permitting it. Mr Fraser: 1 am sure there is no drinking there novv. The Prime Minister displayed to the House graphs indicating that Maori crime was on the decline and went oii to sav that there was a period when the Maori / people needed protection but that period was passiug because of tlu advances the Maori people we r, making. They were not always to be nursed and must be given the oppor tunity of standing on their own feet. l'he fact that Maori farmers on the Kast Coast and in other centres, weri paying rates, was a sign that they weri iceepting their share of responsibili! \ . "We can't keep the Maori peoph pressed down by legislation vvhici. .uakes them feel inferior and retard. lieir progress, " said Mr Fraser. Mr S. W. Sinith (Hobson) said ha lad met Maori people in the north who had asked him to protest against th etention of the lijgislation in whicn hey were involved. 8o far as the sur . ev of hotels in the north was concern .*d, the fact should not be iost sight >f that Maori people did not live m lieir pas, but in their own homes. H believed it would be in the interests )f the Maori people as a whole to have imending legislation brought down. Mr Tirikatene said that he was op posechpp excessive drinking among tii. Maori people but he eongratulated th. loverninent for reinoving drinking re loes not wish to attack the Maori itrictions on the Maori people. "1 hope ind prav that the klaori people vtili build up their will iiower and say no when they mean no and yes when they mean yes," he said, adding that to re introduee blanket prohibitions on the Maori race would be a damning indictneat of it. He did »ot approve of

drinking among Maori women but he would not do as others had, indict the race because drinking was occurring. Mr W. A. Sheat (Patea) said itywa.--quite evident that the legislation was introdueed entirely. for politieal reasons even thaugh it was directly contrary to the recommendations of the Licensing Commission — and it was an attempt by the Government to curry f avour witli the Maori people. But if the Government really believed that the time had come to remove all' restrictions so fa: as the Maori people were' concerned why should not the bar on liquor being taken into a pa, be removed from the Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act? Mr P. Kearins (Waimarino) said tlu Opposition was attacking the Govern ment for giving the Maori people equal ity with the European. Mr A. C. Baxter (Raglan) said 110 person' was allowed to take liquor to Ngaruawahia pa. Mr R. M. Algie (Remuera) said th question was one of whether there hau been ffiifficient abuses of the new law to warrant ehanging it. He suggesteu that factual, impartial reports should be compiled by police officers in tlu centres concerned and on the basis oi that information, the Governmen! could determine future action. Mr Fraser said this information was already being obtained. Mr Paikea said that in one northern town a police sergeant had told a wel fare officer that the new legislation ha..: been a godsend. "This Christmas wi had only one pakeha in gaol fo. drunkenness whereas in former years' two or three Maoris were in gaol ove the Christmas period," this sergeam had reported. Mr Paikea said there ad mittedly was a problem in Auckland but he thouglit Maori welfare c»ula best be promoted by establishing more centres such as the community centre opened last week-end, which would help to keep young Maori people olf the streets. Seven overseas ships were at anehor in the stream at Auckland yesterday waiting for berth at Auckland 's cougested vvaterfront. The latest arrivals uiay have to wait for more than a week. Eight policemen were, killed and fwu wounded when a routine juugle patroi was ambushed near Rawang, 18 nnJe.north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya. ISeven of the policemen killed were lndian and one was a Malayan. -