“YOUR MAORI FRIENDS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 212, 26 November 1927, Page 1

“YOUR MAORI FRIENDS”

MR. URU’S FERVENT PLEA FOR HIS PEOPLE UNSETTLED CLAIMS (THE SUS'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. ! Bursts of oratory by native members of the House of Representatives. | advocating the claims of Maoris, never i fail to excite the sympathy of pakeha I members. But Maori members are noi i quite satisfied with human sympathy las a fulfilment of their desires, and advance consistent requests for more tangible recognition of native rights, which rise out of the past like shadows of forgotten generations. Such is the tenacity of Mr. Ilenare Uru. member of the Southern Maori district, who roused members from the lethargy of the hot summer night to rounds of applause as he asked the State to take into consideration the claim of the Ngai Tahu tribe, which has been hanging like a millstone round the neck of the Government ever since Sir George Grey negotiated the deal with early New Zealand natives for the Canterbury land. "We have got to live,” pleaded Mr. Uru, in asking for restoration of native rights over this land. We all have j troubles. The Government has troubles, j but I go back to my people disappointed that nothing has been done. I remem- ! ber when the war came I was told not jto disturb the Government because ! there was a war on. Now we are told | that we have no money, but I say that if the country is in the position to help your Maori friend. I would be pleased, and my people would be pleased, if you | carry out the rights of the Maori.” (Applause.) Mr. Coates, Minister of Native Affairs, congratulated Mr. Uru on his fervent plea for the people he represented. He had placed the question of the Ngai Tahu claims fairly and at the same time there had been an underlying yet strong plea that the claims should have early consideration. Mr. ! Uru would remember that since the date of those claims there had been j other claims from the North Island for confiscated lands. "I would like an opI portunity to consider the question as a ! whole in order to settle the matter de- | finitely, as a question of policy, which will involve tlie allocation of this < money,” said Mr. Coates. “It is not only one section of our native race that we have to consider but the whole of the people. There should be a general consideration of the whole question. I will be glad carefully to review the position at an early opportunity, probably during the recess, and to inform members representing the Maori race what I think will be a solution to ! those problems, which involve of course very large sums of money.”