ATTACK ON MAORIS IS NOT VERIFIED

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1948, Page 7

ATTACK ON MAORIS IS NOT VERIFIED

Mr Fraser’s Queries to Rev. Moore Go Unanswered P.A. WELLINGTON, May 31. Following upon the sermon preached by the Reverend E. Blackwood Moore, in St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Auckland, on Sunday, May 16, in which statements were made concerning an alleged moral decline on the part of the Maori people, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, as Minister of Maori Affairs, addressed a letter to the Rev. Mr Moore, asking him for the facts upon which his statements were based. The Prime Minister’s letter, Mr Moore’s reply, and Mr Fraser’s further letter, have been released by the Prime Minister for publication. Mr Fraser’s letter of 20th May is as follows; —•> “As Minister-in-Charge of Maori Affairs, I am very actively interested in. promoting the social, economic and moral welfare of the Maori people. It was, therefore, with very grave concern that I. read in the columns of the New Zealand Herald, on Monday, 17th May, certain statements, attributed to you, in the report ot a sermon preached by you in St. Matthew’s Church. Auckland, on Sunday last, 16th May. As implications, inferences and conclusions drawn from a necessarily brief report would appear to go much further than you probably intended, I would be obliged if you could supply me with the following information: — “(1) Is the report of your sermon a fair presentation of what you said? If the report is a fair and accurate one, will you be good enough to furnish me with the following information: (a) Evidence .of ‘in-breeding among Maoris in parts of North Auckland to qualify for family allowance’, (b) In which locality of North Auckland is in-breeding being practised for the purpose mentioned, (c) Among which tribe or tribes, or hapu or hapus. or communities, or villages, is this practice in existence? “(2) What things have been given to Maoris which can be accurately described as being ‘born in the morning to die at night’? “(3) In what particular matter in policy, or administration, or relationship, have we ‘failed the Maoris lamentably’ in recent years? “(4) In what manner, and by whom, are Maoris exploited, and a noble race prostituted for political purposes? “(5) What is meant by ‘traffic, in souls’, and who are the traffickers? “(6) What evidence have you in support of your statement that 80 per cent, of the inmates of Auckland Prison are Maoris? “As you will readily agree,, the statements in regard to the Maori people attributed to you are of a very serious nature. If they are accurate, and based on fact, they are strong evidence of a detrimental effect of tne present policy of equality and co-op-eration between Maori and pakeha, and must be taken into serious account, and examined very closely. This examination will only be possible if you can supply me with facts on which your statements were presumably based. I earnestly hope you will assist me by supplying these facts as soon as possible. Thanking you in anticipation of your assistance in this important matter”. Rev. Mr Moore’s reply, of 22nd May, pecicis * “In reply to your air mail letter of the 20th instant. I have to state that the newspaper report referred to was an accurate report of a small part of the sermon preached by me last Sunday morning’'. , „ The Prime Minister’s further letter to Mr Moore, of 28th May, is as follows: — , , . . , “I have to acknowledge receipt of your reply, dated 22nd May, to my letter of 20th May. I thank you for your definite answer in regard to the accuracy of the press report, of your sermon preached on Sunday, 16th May. I also note a complete lack of reference to my further enquiries in regard to the subject matter of your sermon. I regret that, in the circumstances. I am forced to the conclusion that this lack of reference is, in effect. either a refusal to produce evi : dence which I. as Minister of Maori Affairs reasonably asked for, and on which I assumed your . statements were based; or an admission that you have no such evidence to support the very serious assertions affecting Maori people which you made in the course of your sermon. In view of the prominence that was given in the news ? papers to this portion of your sermon I feel it my duty, in fairness to the Maori people, to hand a copy of our correspondence to the press .