MAORI GRIEVANCES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 576, 31 January 1929, Page 6

MAORI GRIEVANCES

RIGHTS OF NATIVES REMOVING SUSPICIONS (Special to THE SUXJ WHAKATANE, Wednesday. That it was the purpose of the legislature in New Zealand to endeavour to rectify Maori grievances was the theme of speeches by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Leader of the Opposition, and Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister of Native Affairs, at the unveiling to-day ot the monument to the late chief, Karepiere Pouawha Meihana. “We would like you to know we never allow politics to interfere with the progress and well-being of the Maori people,” Mr. Coates told the assembly of 1.000 natives. Mr. Coates added that on general political questions there might be conflict and it had been his aim to find a solution of the native problems. That also was Sir Apirana Ngata’s aim. They would try to get rid of one of the grievances of the native people of New Zealand in the matter of confiscated land. (Applause.) It was a question of organising the present wealth of the Maoris and showing them how to make the best use of it. Sir Apirana Ngata could be trusted with the solution in the best interests of the pakeha and Maoris, and he asked the Maoris to assist the .Minister in the work that lay ahead. WORK AND ORGANISATION Sir Apirana Ngata said it was hard work and good organisation which was needed to solve the question of Maori grievances, not only with regard to connscated lands, but land assumed to have been bought from the natives but which the latter contended was not. The greatest difficulty was to persuade the Government to go behind the decisions given by men in the past. In regard to the confiscation of land in this district he could assure the Europeans that the natives were not asking that farms should be handed back. They were asking that the matter be review'ed by a competent tribunal. Sir Apirana said it was difficult to assess adequate compensation and allay the feeling of grievance. The Band Commission had assessed the amount at £8,600 in the Waikato, but the commissioners had found the Bay of Plenty, with the exception of Opotiki, was not entitled to any compensation. The late Government had been going into the matter when Mr. Coates resigned. Now he (Sir Apirana) had to take the matter up, and he thanked Mr. Coates for making the problem a lighter one. The natives were only asking for a little for their common fund. They contributed a large portion per head to the public services used by them, and were asking that a certain portion should be put down m settle outstanding grievances. He asked the Europeans not to misunderstand the matter. He proposed to ask Parliament to vote a moderate amount for this district.