IRKSOME TO MAORIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 9

IRKSOME TO MAORIS.

RESTRICTION ON TRAVEL MR. NCATA COMPLAINS IN HOUSE. A protest was raised in tho House of Representatives yostordoy aftornoon by tho Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori! against tho administration of tho Health Department's regulations restricting tho movements of Natives, in view of the epidemic. Mr. Ngata urged that tlio Department ■ should consider tho position of districts subject to tlio Department's proclamation, but not yet invaded by tho disease. He referred moro particularly to his own electorate, tho Wairarapa. Hawke's Bay, and Poverty Bay, to tno East Cape. The matter was becoming of very serious importance to tho Natives, because sheep docking had started, and shearing would soon bo commencing. Disabilities imposed oil Natives in Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay wero also referred to by the member, who urged that certificates of successful vaccination should be sufficient to onablo the Natives to travel. Ho thought, indeed, tlio time was ripe for tho Department to reviow tho wholo position. Tho Hon. R. H. Rhodes said that he was sorry ho had not heard tho opening remarks of tho member for Eastern Maori. . He gathered that Mr. Ngata had asked nothing additional to what he had asked in an interview two day 6 previously. He (tho Minister) could only answer, as he had done then, that he would look into tho question and would relax the restrictions as soon as possible. Not only in the interests of Europeans, but in tne interests of the Natives themselves, he must see that they did not travel into infected areas. As to guards and other railway officials reading the regulations differently, he could not help that. Ho was not responsible for their intelligence. If tho instructions issued wero not sufficiently definite, ho would issue further instructions. He did not wish to restrict Natives travelling in their own districts, and they could obtain permission to travel by telegram, so that there could bo no difficulty in that respeot.