MAORI WAR EFFORT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 259, 31 July 1942, Page 4

MAORI WAR EFFORT

Men For Armed Forces And Production

TRIBAL COMMITTEES The important part-to be played by tribal committees in the organization for directing Maori' manpower and woman-power into the most useful channels of national service was outlined by the Minister in Charge-of Maori War Effort, Mr. Paikea, in an interview last evening. Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Hemphill, an officer with a distinguished service record, who in civilian life is clerk to the Whangarei County Council, has been appointed liaison officer between the Maori war organization which has just been established and the Army.

Mr. Paikea said the organization for recruiting Maoris both for the Army ■ and for production had begun its, work. Colonel Hemphill wotild -be in charge of recruiting officers, and when all these were appointed there would be 20 of them, each having an operational zone to work. Ono of the first duties of these officers would be to set up tribal committees in their respective' zones. The main functions of the tribal committees would be to assist recruiting officers to recruit men for the armed forces and -to direct men to stay in production-or any other-es-sential industry. Committees' would also he asked to make recommendations to manpower, committees in regard to the withdrawal of men from the forces for work on farms, or to make recommendations to primary production councils for any assistance which in their opinion was essential to production. In other words, tribal committees would direct Maori manpower and womanpower for the armed forces and for production. Conference of Officers. Mr. Paikea, who mentioned that the first conference of recruiting officers had been held in Auckland this week, said that -they were a very fine team of men. All of them were already members of the services, some having served in the last war as well as the present one. One of them, Major R. Vereoe, D. 5.0., D.C.M., Rotorua, find also served in the Boer Wai’. Major Rang! Royal, M.C., second in commiind of the 2nd Maori Battalion, also attended the conference. The Minister said that both Colonel Hemphill and himself were very pleased with the /type of meh available as recruiting officers, and they were also very hopeful that something worthwhile would be achieved ns a result of the Maori war organization. The policy laid down meant the tribes would -be All integral part in the defence of this coiintry and the Empire. Of the 20 operational zones, eight were In the Northern Maori district, six in the Western, five in the Eastern and one in the Southern. For these zones the following recruiting officers had been appointed:—Major Vereoe, Rotorua; Captain W. Wherohla, Te Puke; Captain T. Hiroti, M.C., Wanganui; Captain. J. Ferris. Gisborne; Lieutenant 11. Jacob, M.C., Otaki; Lieutenant Ralph Love, Wanganui; Lieutenant 11. C. Paikea, Kaiwaka; Lieutenant W. I’ohio, Lyttelton; and Lieutenant W. Clarke, Auckland. In addition, temporary recruiting officers-had been appointed. These included Messrs. J. ID. Jones, Waimiha, King Country; 11. Tahlwi, Wellington; and E. 11. MacGregor, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay. Recruiting officers had still to be appointed fol- the Hawke’s Bay ami Wairarapa zones.