MAORI WORKERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 250, 13 June 1932, Page 4

MAORI WORKERS

DIFFERENTIATED PAYMENTS - ARE CONSIDERED UNFAIR. 'MR. CLINKARD SYMPATHETIC. "In view of the fact that the Maori pays the same unemployment levy*as the Pakeha wThy should he not receive the same rate of pay?" This v/as a question put before Mr. Clinkard, M.P., by a deputation of Maori members of the Rotorua Relief Workers' Association on Friday afternoon. The secretary of the Association, Mr. H. Daniels, acted as the chief spokesman for the deputation and the request of the members was that he make representations to the Unemployment Board setting forth the iniustice of sueh an arrangement. It was pointed out that in every other part of the Dominion the Maoris were placed upon the same footing as the Pakeha and it was not fair that there should he differentiation in Rotorua. Mr. Daniels said that the board had stated that there was to he no such difference, but the secretary of the local unemployment committee reported that instructions had been reeeived from the board that the 250 Maori unemployed were to be found work hy the Hon. A. T.^ Ngata under his development scheme. But many of the natives had not benefitted hy the scheme. Mr. Clinkard asked how many natives were out of work and he was informed that there were probably 100, nrincipally those living around the lake. The local unemployment committe had asked the Waiariki Land Board to investigate various cases of natives requiring relief, but the results had proved quite unsatisfactory. Many of the natives were fully entitled to more sustenance than they were receiving. Some four-day Maori workers got 25/- a week and three-day men 18/in comparsion with £2/10- and £1/17/6 paid to the Pakeha. The secretary of the local committee had always supplied reasons for reductions made. A case was quoted where a Maori with six children was in 'serious circumstances. Three of the children were going to school, but the other three could not attend because they had no clothes. Mr. Wi Martin stated that where Maoris with families got 25/- Pakehas reeeived £2/10/-, not withstanding the fact that they had to pay the same levy. Maoris who reeeived no benefit should he exempted froni payment of the levy. The only Maoris getting the full benefit were those with Pakeha names. Other natives declared that they had not been able to get any benefit from the Native Minister's scheme. Mr. Clinkard though the reductions were made from a truly economic standpoint and that there was no question- of a colour line. However, he fully believed in equal pay for both Maori and Pakeha and would plaee the matter before the authorities.