WIVES OF MAORI SOLDIERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3988, 22 July 1915, Page 3

WIVES OF MAORI SOLDIERS.

THE SEPARATION ALLOWANCE

IBy Telegraph—Suuoial Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, JuW 31. There seems to bo some dom»t to whether the wife of a member of the Maori force will he able to obtain the one shilling per day separation allowance without undue trouble. 11 matter was raised in the House o Representatives yesterday by the Hon A. T. Ngata. Mr Ngata read the statement setting out that the marriage certificate should be sent to the Department when application was made for the extra allowance. Ho desired to know whether the Defence Department had taken into consideration the position of wives of the members of the Maori cont-i.ngant. “If the marriage certificate were insisted upon, he sank “many women deserving this us • shilling per day would be disqualified. The statement presupposes .the existence of a legal marriage according to New Zealand law, whereas, »i a number of cases, members o the Maori contingent married according to the Maori custom. It is only uncle i the Maori Land Act m land triins '- tions that marriage according to tno Maori custom is recognised. I tines it is"only fair that it should be recognised in'the case of men going to tne *' Mr' Allen sakl that, with regard to the marriage of Maoris he thought that a declaration would be Kiiflicu.it. However, be was not .sufficiently «>yr quainted with the Maori customs t he able to satisfactorily deal « those questions. - He would be. phxma if Mr N"ata would consult a ith him and, if an alteration was necessary, to see that tha Maori married women were certain of getting the allowance. The alterations would be made.