THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 209, 14 May 1915, Page 4

THE MAORI CONTINGENT.

TO JOIN IN FIGHTING. tss* REINFORCEMENTS TO BE SENT. F.’eog A ssociation—Copyright. WELLINGTON, Yesterday. The question of keeping up the Maori war contingent to full strength so as to enable it to go on active service at the front, was considered by a conference comprising the Hon. J. Allen (Minister for Defence), the Hon. Dr. Pomare (Western Maori Representative), Mr. T, Parata (M.P. for Southern Maori District), Sir James Carroll (member for Gisborne and for many years Native Minister), and Mr. T. E. Heuheu Tukino (the well-known Taupo chief. ■'

The Hon. A. T. Ngata (Eastern Maori member) was invited to t/he conference, but, being unable to attend, sent a statement of his views.

The Minister for Defence informed a reporter that the Army Council in England suggested to the New Zealand Government that the Maoris might be given an opportunity of going on active service after two months’ training, but, at the same time, it wished to know whether adequate reinforcements could be sent to back them up. The meeting of Maori representatives was called to consider the suggestion, and it was soon decided to accept the suggestion, and to send reinforcements as far as possible. It is thought that there hould be somewhere between 600 and 700 Maoris available within the next eight months. They are to be trained in Auckland, as was the case with the contingent now r at Malta, Details regarding the ratsing of this force will be settled at a conference with Colonel Robin, Commandant of the New Zealand Forces. As for the Maoris now at Malta, they will go into the fighting line in a couple of months or less.