Maoris Make Cheap Market-Gardeners

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 719, 19 July 1929, Page 8

Maoris Make Cheap Market-Gardeners

WORK FOR CHINES SIR APIRANA ON EV'M. i (THE Sf.V'S Parliamentary Repo~, PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Tod Strong criticism of the emeu ment of Maoris by Chines* made by the Minister of N»ti Affairs. Sir Apirana Ngata, i„ House of Representatives tods,' Sir Apirana said that he k directed the officers of his depart*,, to make inquiries in regard to cot< tions of -work round about PukekohT and later on he hoped investigate would be made in the Clevedon trict. where Maoris were Chinese and Hindus. It was one few places in thei world where nins pence an hour was paid for work ot market gardens. The Minister said he hoped tinlater on, investigations would made, and combined action taken bt the Labour, Health, and Native D* partments, and that recommendatiorj would be placed before Parliament tj regard to such employment of fc, scendants of the original people o* New Zealand on market gardens. \jj law- seemed to apply to work on n a . ket gardens. (Hear, hear.) "I would like to know what the award is,” the Minister added, fh, suburbs of Auckland and Pukekohe Wanganui, and Otaki were concerned, Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Ce s . tralj: Are Maori girls working on those market gardens? The Minister: Yes, and Maori men and women. The position is that the Maoris are the only people to wort there for a wage like that, and Chin, ese the only people who would give it. Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino): it is most disgraceful. In regard to the association of vonns Maori girls with Chinese, the Minister said he did not know what reined? could be suggested. Prohibition had been suggested by the Northern Natives’ Association, but it was an easy thing to find a solution in a resolution at a meeting after an academic discussion. There were laws of nature to consider, and he did not know bow they could be interfered with. The solution, as he saw it, was so to improve the social and economic conditions of the race as to make it impossible for Maori girls to want to be employed in those market gardens, (Hear, hear.)