ADMITTING ISLANDERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1015, 4 July 1930, Page 12

ADMITTING ISLANDERS

GOVERNMENT ADHERES TO PRESENT POLICY COMPARISON WITH MAORIS The New Zealand Government cannot see its way clear to give general permission for the admission to the Dominion of all persons who are wholly or partly of Polynesian origin, although each application for permanent residence will be considered on its merits. This reply has been received by the Akarana Maori Association from the < omptroller of Customs, Hr. G. Craig, in response to the association's contentions on behalf of .Polynesians desiring to reside in New Zealand. The question arose when the association wrote to the Customs Department regarding the ordering from the Dominion of the young Tonga n orphans, Alfred Sanft and Christina Sanft. In dealing with the subject, rhe organisation has raised debatable points concerning the Government attitude to Island peoples. If the Government regards Maoris as proper residents in New Zealand, the association argues, it is inconsistent if it treats other Polynesian races as aliens. Strict adherence to the official attitude would mean that the Maoris are allowed in New Zealand only because they were in the country originally. Hr. Craig’s reply was at the direction of the Minister of Customs, the Hon. G. W. Porbes. The Customs Department. the letter said, had decided to extend the temporary permits of ihe young Tongans until September 20, and careful consideration would be given to the repi-esentations on their behalf. At a meeting last evening, members of the association discussed the pres-ent-day conditions of the Maori race, particularly progress in the occupation of native lands, the simplification of land titles, and the management of native affairs by the Government departments. It was felt that many departments overlapped in their work and that efforts should be directed toward Ihe provision of a central department for all native work. The association is continuing its arguments for more sympathetic treatment by the Pensions Department of the applications for pensions from aged Maoris. Anomalies exist at present largely because of the lack of official records of ages. It was mentioned last evening, too, that Maoris are experiencing inexplicable difficulty in the iegis t ra ti on <>f birth-;.