A NEW INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1802, 15 July 1913, Page 4

A NEW INDUSTRY.

MORE PROTECTION WANTED. Representatives of tlio Southland Maoris waited upou tho Hon. P. M. B. Fislier! (Minister for Marin?) yesterday to askthat tho mutton-bird industry should btf more adequately protected than at prosent. The deputation was introduced by! Jlr.' C. Parafca, M.l>. A petition signed by W. Spencer and 218! others was pik'sented. It sot forth, inter! alia, that tho importation of mutton- 1 - birds from Tasmania was rapidly increase 'ing, to tho detriment of tlio .New Zealand industry. Tho Tasmanian birds, it! was stated, were of quality and' wore frequently packcd in Maori kits and' passed off as Now Zealand birds. It further suggested that as tho male mut-i ton-birders were all practised sailors and' boatmen, the relations requiring tlio 1 vessels in which they travelled to tho is- : lands to bo in. charge of certificated mas- 1 , ters'might bo modified. The petition embodivxl the following resolutions passed unanimously at a meeting of South Island Natives held at Bluff on Juno 2:—l. That tho duty bo raised on Tasmanian mutton-birds to bring the price up to fivepenco Heir bird wholesale ittj New Zealand. 2. That tho Maoris of New Zoalaiid ask for protection • for.' kelp in opnnection with mutton-birding for tlio solo U6O of Natives and Europeans marrikd to Natives, to be used only in preserving and keeping New Zealand, birds. 3. That the delegates impress upon' tho Government the necessity of compell-* ing all dealers in mutton-birds, wholesale or retail, to notify and sell tho same' as Tasmanian and New Zealand birds respectively. 4. That all Nativfcs stamp kelp bogs (pohas) and baskets "Now Zealand,", birds" and registered brands. 5. That the Government, in the interests of tho publio health, appeal to Natives to inflate thair kelp bags lor drying by other means than the human, breath. ■0. That the Govern-; liient be, asked to modify, tho restrictions' in connection with oertiftrd masters and; engineers on small craft carrying mutton* birders. ■ t '■ Tho Minister promised to look into tho, question of importations from Tasmania, but remarked that if tho quantities imported were as largb as slated, it would) not 1)0 of much mse shutting them out if tho Maoris were not able to keep up the supply here. . , ] jjeputationists said thai tho Maoris' could keC'p up tho supply if tlio regula-' tions at present in force in regard to labour conditions were amended. The Minister said that ho would look into the whole question, including tho matter of tho restrictions upon vessel# carrying Natives to the islands.