"AT THE BAR"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 716, 16 December 1933, Page 5

"AT THE BAR"

(Press Assn.-

NATIVE MINISTER extraordinary statement by sir apirana ngata strange thi-ngs may happtetn

— By Telegraph — Copyright).

Wellington, Friday. Participating at an early hour this mor,ning in the debate in the House of Representatives on the report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor-General's comanents, the Native Minister, Sir Apirana Ngata, said he would be glad of the opportunity the commission would afford of going into such cases as the dismissal of the official menitioned earlier iii the debate. (Referring to the Native Land Settlement Board the Minister said it had been functioning since the beginning of the ye-ar. It had been insisted that those in charge of the various developmental schemes should work to a budget, and the natives were used to working by rule. Sir Apirana pointed out that the audit investigations which were now taking- place were in respect of happenings which had taken place before •the hoard was constituted. "To-night I am one of the prisoners at the bar," continued the Minister, "I propose to speak for a few minutes" not so much as the Minister responsible for the department which is under review, but us oue* of the Maoris of New Zealand. "What has given us most concern a,t this time is the attitude of the pakeha towards the Maoris. There have been many misunderstandings and a lot depended on the tone of the debate to-night. We were anxious to be assured whether we had the goodwill of the pakeha of New Zealand or not." A Labour member: That was never in question. "An Extraordinary Statement" Sir Apirana: The Maoris must take their cue from the tone of this Chamber to-night. If the tone had not been in keeping with the attitude which has always been taken up towards th'e Maori race a lot of queer things would have happened in the next few months. ;Mr. R. Semple (Labour, Wellington East). That is an extraordinary statement. Mr. F. Langstone (Labour, Waimarino): Yes. Just what do you rnean ? S-ir Apirana: That is no threat. During the last week or so, messages have reached us, written probably in a moment of heat, expressing resentment at what has happened. I am not levelling this at members of th'e Labour Party or at any other section of the House, but at the pakeha of New Zealand. Where does the Maori get impressions from? From Parliament, from tlie press, from the man in the street, and from the man outside. Continuing, the Minister said it was proposed to take away from th'e Native Minister some of the extensive powers he had had, and the Maori people were wondering whether that was directed at the Minister who was a Maori, or at the Native Minister as an institution. He was trying to convey to the House the possibility of serious * misunderstanding outside. The Government had decided that the native land development schemes were to be run on certain lines and he wanted to assure the House that the schemes would be completely successful. It had to he remembered that the schemes had to be brought about gradually and that was being done. "Honest Misunderstandings" "Wfe have never got money from Parliament before for Maoris," said the Minister. "This is the first time that it has been given to us, and it is no-t very much. The public of New Zealand is showing far more concern about the half a million 'given to Maori settlers than over the millions that have been spent in other directions." Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Government; Waitomo): Yes. Eight millions for soldier settlements. Sir Apirana: I want to thank the House for its consideration and also for the tone of the debate to-night. It will-mean a good deal to the men and women outside. The Minister said the present troubles had arisen out of what he charaeterised as honest misunderstandings. Mr. Langstone assured the Minister that there had never been any question of feeling between pakeHn, and Maori during the debate ,or any feeling that the Minister was less efficient because he was a Maori. "There is no abler or more competent man in the Government," he said. "In fact, the genius of the pre sent Government is the Native Minister." After further discussion the report w-as formally laid on the table and the House rose at 4.20 a.m. till 2.30 this afternoon.