Maori Trek to Cities Deplored

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 57, 10 March 1944, Page 5

Maori Trek to Cities Deplored

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 9. The majority or tne speakers wero again drawn from the back benches when tho Address-in-Reply debate was continued in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr. Morton (Waitemata) said while there was no finer race in tho world than the Maoris, and pakeha treatment and example had been bad, there were many unfortunate features of Maori living conditions to-day. Maoris were flocking into Auckland, where there wero nearly 10,000 of them instead of the pre-war figure of about 500. Many of them were living in disreputable holes under disgraceful conditions. Little was being done to see that they or their families got decent living conditions. It was the responsibility of both sides of tho House to pay moro attention to Maori problems. Mr. Morton declared that the Internal Marketing Department was conceived in the womb of Russia, with an ideology of uncertain parentage. The people of the country would throw it out at tb first available opportunity as was done in New South Wales after six months. It had dono nothing for tho consume' or the producer. Mr. Morton, touching on industrial problems, said if th* Go\ ernment would now show its strength equally to all sections, favouring non* of them, tho Prime Minister would earn and enjoy the confidence, respect and cooperation of every member of the House and every man and woman in the Dominion. Mr. Cotterill (Wanganui) interpreted the comments of Messrs. Morton and Smith (who spoke yesterday) as an attack on the Maori people. Apparently these Opposition members wished to deny equality of citizenship to the Maori people and did not think the Maoris should enjoy social securitja He agreed that the Maori drift to towns was deplorablo and would have to be countered by rehabilitation to the country. Housing Programme Mr. Cotterill voiced the hope that when manpower and materials were available for the expanded Government housing programme again it would be possible to cheapen rentals without abating quality. He advocated greater use of designs which would enable additions to houses as families increased. Housing would play a large part in rehabilitation. He believed returned men should bo encouraged to build their own houses, but mortgage j payments like rents needed reduction, r He did not want to see returned men ; saddled with a mortgage burden beyond their means. The solution of this probr lem was not solely wrapped up with 5 the achievement of cheaper methods of building. Something further yet should l bo done towards reducing interest , charges for returned men. Mr. Cotterill commended to the Minister of Works a greater use of pumice boards and other timber substitutes to overcome the timber bottleneck in post-war housing. Importance of Farming ’ Mr. Gillespie said farming was ana | always would bo a basic industry in 1 New Zealand, so the foundation on which its economic structuro was built should be sound and everlasting, m ■ the new order talked about it would be ■ impossible for one country to build an • economic foundation without cousider--1 ing otjier countries. Legislation in recent years had made tho conditions everywhere except on the land so attractive that it was difficult to get any one from tho towns to the land. He i did not blame the worker for going i where he could get tho greatest reward, but the farmer was entitled to more equitable treatment. Houses should be provided for rural workers as well as i for towns. On the question of production, Mr. Gillespie said he considered they must , look to second and third-class lands as well as first-class and he considered that many men would like to undertake improving tlieso lands under the rehabilitation scheme. Another thing that would help production was better provision for the maintenance of the transport necessary to the farmer. Plea foi Socialism Mr. Petrie (Otahuhu) said tho Government would continue a long time in office if it would only implement its socialistic policy—the only policy which would curb monopoly, huge profits and the indifference of employers to tho welfare of employees. The Government would bo judged on the progress towards socialisation in the next three years, on the encouragement of joint control in industry, of cooperative production, marketing and distribution, and by the scale of its social reform It would also be judged by tho fi mines * of its policy of no compromise with and no appeasement of members of the Opposition. Loss from Rest Period Mr. Gordon (Rangitikei) asked what inducement was there for the farmer to increase production while the Govern ment encouraged waste. What justification was there for a rest period n the freezing industry which was the only seasonal industry in which many of the men had ouly been working a few days. The rest period granted by the Government meant loss and increased costs to tho farmers. Tho Government by introducing the rest perioo at the height of the season and giving a riso in wages had outraged its own stabilisation scheme. Freezing works had been working to capacity right through the season and had not been able to handle all the stock offering—perhaps because of the dry season—but at Christmas they had been closed not only for the ordinary holidays but also for a five days’ rest period. He could only speak of the North Island, but he presumed that tho same applied to the South Island. In the north he estimated that the holidays had reduced killings by approximately 300,000 sheep and lambs, although ho had been told that it was probably nearer 400,000. Those sheep and lambs were still in the paddocks and many of them would not get to the freezing works this year. Britain wanted meat and but for the rest period those carcases could have been on their way there before now\ Problem of Industrial Disputes. Mr. J. Ilodgens (Palmerston North) said there was a lack of appreciation ot world events behind the comments oi many Opposition members, some oi whom apparently failed to realise that but for the aid of our great American ally they might possibly not have been conducting Parliament but might have , been tho slaves of the Japanese. Instead of producing a little blue meat coupon we might have had only a bowi of rice. Opposition members complained of industrial disputes, but what of the Welsh i dispute reported in today’s cables. Responsible men were concerned over in- ; dustrial trouble in the heart of the . British Empire as they were concerned ! over it in New Zealand, but the Opposi-J ! Jtion had not helped the situation by 1

carping at the miners in and out of season. It had been suggested that the Government should have gaoled the striking Waikato miners, but did the Opposition expect Mr. Churchill to gaol 80,000 Welsh miners. Rather wonld Mr. Churchill do everything possible to keep the miners working coal as Mr. Fraser , had done here. . Mr. Hodgcns said soldiers returning , from overseas needed conditions the like . of which were unknown to the soldiers returning from previous wars, and they . would get them. He quotea a letter [ from a firm of land agents and valuers ; —he understood its principals were sup- . porters of the National Party—to a i returned soldier who answered an ad- . vertisement concerning a farm. The ; letter said thut as the soldier proposed • dealing through the Government under • the rehabilitation scheme the writers ! could do nothing for him as there was . ‘no evidence that the Crown was buying ' the land. Mr. Ilodgens said the truth • was that until January 31, 1944, 19l i loans representing £584,149 had been i authorised under the rehabilitation scheme for the purchase of farms by returned men. If the letter indicated the i land agents’ typo of cooperation in rehabilitation then it was high time to find another means of putting soldiers in touch w*ith the land. The Cry of Youth. Mr. Watts (Riccarton) said he wanted to make an urgent and special plea on behalf of his own generation. The young men and women of New Zealand bad proved their capacity for leadership, courage and endurance, but they had never had u feeling of security. As soon as they reached manhood and womanhood they wero met by the depression and then wars and rumours of wars, culminating in the present struggle. During tho past 20 years tho younger generation had been told that , they could not fight and would not fight. , They had proved tho contrary. They were in the grip of a mental tyranny of old age, and unless the opportunity was i given to young men and women alter the war there would be a revolt. Practically every leading citizen in New Zealand had assured the young people that they were fighting for democracy and freedom. The freedom the younger generation wanted was freedom of opportunity. Was there any indication in tho Speech from the Throne or in the speeches of Government members that they would get that? He felt that there was none and there was a ieeliug of desperation in the minds of tho young people that after the war the country would be run by bureaucrats, individual opportunity would be taken away and life would consist mainly of standing in queues and filling in forms. The members of the Government had been too long in a professional political atmosphere and had lost touch with tho desires of the younger people. What tho younger people wanted was not an everlasting state of paternalism but a chance to express their own individuality, make their own way, build their own homes and prove that they wero capable of running their own lives. He saw little hope for that under a body of men who preached and tried to put into practice the doctrine of class warfare they had supported 30 years ago. Defence of Maori. Mr. Paikea said many Maoris were engaged in the mining and freezing industries. In the Auckland manpower district alone 6000 Maoris were engaged in essential industry while the Maori contribution to food production was thoroughly creditable. Mr. Smith had suggested that the Maori people were cutting down their dairy herds to take advantage of the social security benefits. That suggestion at the time the Maoris were doing their utmost for the national cause amounted to sabotage of tho country’s war effort. Such an accusation was grossly unfair. If there wero individual cases those concerned would not get away with it, but Mr. Smith would have done better to pay attention to pakeha shortcomings which also existed. Mr. Paikea said any abuses of the social security scheme would be investigated by tribal committees under the Maori war effort organisation. He thanked the Government for its humanitarian efforts to restore to the Maori the prestige they had lost under past Governments. Had the Opposition been returned to power the Maoris would have gone back to the position they were in 25 years ago. Under the Labour Government the Maoris had regained their pride of race. Mining and Farming. Mr. Sutherland (Hauraki) said that D 5 per cent, of the coalminers were good solid citizens and good workers but there were a few troublemakers among them. More coal was needed and it was up to tho Government to. get more. Many of the miners had appeals against service adjourned and if they went out on strike they should be drafted into the army overnight. Mr. Sutherland said the primary producers wore having a thin time. There was no go-slow about them. They simply could not produce what they should without more fertilisers anil more labour. Farmers, their wives and families had done all they could and the Government should direct suitable labour to the land to meet the demands for production in future. Mr. Peter Carr (Auckland West) said Mr. Holland in his speech had not charged the Government directly with destroying the voting papers but tho innuendo was there. Innuendoes were going around tho country to the same effect. The Government might as well say the papers were destroyed to get one on to the Government, but they would not be so small-minded. Chorus of Interjections. There was a chorus of interjections as Mr. Carr proceeded to discuss other National Party propaganda. The Speaker (Mr. Schramm) intervening said his notice had been drawn ; to the fact that the interjections and loud talking among members were picked up on the microphones. He had to consider not only members but the people outside who were paying for the broadcasting service and he wished the House to understand that he intended to take a strong attitude on the matter.