MAORIS DISSATISFIED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 7, 1 October 1937, Page 7

MAORIS DISSATISFIED

Out- Own Corf-eBpCindent.)

Treatment by the Native Department

Gfroni

PALMERSTON N., Tbis Day. . Mr. R. Marumaru, Of tbe lower, .Rangitikei, chairmau of tbe Parewa* « nui Maori Labour Committoe, wbo was1 ;in Palmerston Nortb yesterday en routo to Wellington, informed a raporter tbat a great deal of dissati'sfaction and concern was exercised in. the minds of a large majority of the Maori people pledged to LabOur be- ( causo of tbe bostile and unsympatbetic; treatment tbey aro receiving from tbeNative Department. In order to rid 'true democratic Government of tbis; .political menaco, tbe Maori -Labour;Committoe tbroughout tbe country arai conoentrating upon a solutiOn of tbe problem. Tberefore, witb a spirit o£; belpfulness tbe Parewanui committeeWill circularise otber Maori Labour committees witb the following proposals. for their discusson and adoption: — " (1.) Tbat in view of tbe strong and( lObvious undercurrent of tbe steady and strangling victimisation administeredi tbrougb certain cbannels in the Native Department against Maori supportersl of Labour wbicb would seem to bave' been originated by bostilo and unsympatbetic offieials and iniluenced by tbe more cducated and wcaltbier class (0f Maori opposed to Labour adminis■tration, tbe Government be requestedi to re-organise tbe wbole Of the Native Department from top to bottom at tbo; earllest possible moment. "(2.) Tbat as a result of complaintsi made wbicb investigations bave proved to be correct regarding tbe unbusinesslike manner and lax way in wbicb the; Native Department prepares the plans, and speciitcations of bousea for Maorisj aiid the dilitary form of control andsupervision it exercises over buildings operations wbicb tends to encourage, bad workmanship and tbe use of inferior timber and other materials, and also for otber obvious reasons, Maori Labour district executives sbould appoint to its staff as soon as possible some competent person wbo could adviso on farm equipment, house build•ing and dairy farming, and who could protect tbe interests of the natives and dnstruct them on those things wbicb count most in tbe working of tbe land. iWith regard to tbe question of salaries {tbe Government be asked to meet tbis 'out of funds from tho Civil List.'7-