IN PEACE AND WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1922, Page 4

IN PEACE AND WAR.

A, MAORI’ LEADER

CHRISTCHURCH, June 5. The honour ami knighthood conferred upon Hr l’omare may he considered firstly a recognition of the way in which the ’Maoris played their part as British citizens during the war, and secondly an acknowledgement of the work done by Dr Pomare, first as health officer, and then as Minister ,to bring the | Maoris to recognise and observe laws of | health (says the. Wellington “Post”). | Dr Pomare with the other Maori mem- | hers of Parliament organised the Pm- j ueer Battalion, which gained distinction on Gallipoli. The voluntary response of the Maoris to' the call for recruits was due mainly to the inspiration given bv their leaders. When the )Military Service Act came into operation its provisions were not applied automatically to the Maori race, >u • . . were to operate only if the tribes do- j cided that this should be done. Dr j Pomare secured the operation of the measure throughout the whole of his own electorate. Altogether between 4000 aind 5000 Maoris went to the front | and some 500 Cook Islanders. But the | Maoris helpeel in other ways—by gifts j of money and land for settlement by : the returned soldiers. The other great part of Dr Poinare’s j work has been in safeguarding the health of the Natives in. the difficult , transition from savage to civilised eon- , ditions. A strong and hardy race tin- j dor their nntnrr? conditions of living, | {be Maoris were threatened with extinction through contact with the white’s man’s method of living. As Health Officer to the Maoris for many years Dr Pomare was responsible for the introduction of those principles of health and the beneficial effects of | which arc now becoming evident. It | was not .-always easy to persuade the Maoris that what was proposed .was for ' their own welfare. The limitation of the tangi to three days, for example, ; was not welcomed ; nor the forcible legislative suppression of the tohiinga. ■ To lifi’p the Maori women in sickness , and maternity suitable Maori girls were | chosen and trained as nurses, their work has been of the utmost value. 1 These reforms were instituted first bv 1 Dr Maui Pomare as Health Officer and , carried on under his Ministerial over- j sight by Dr Buck (To Rangihiroa). The j result of their joint efforts is that the . Maori population which had previously I been practically stationary or declining, was at the last census shown to he increasing.