THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1919, Page 3

THE ELECTIONS.

The Christchurch 'Press thinks th« time has arrived when special Maori representation in Parliament, should cease. Our contemporary pays:—There is ample evidence that in many eases the privilege of electing a member of their own raeo is not prized by the Maoris, with the result that one or two of the Native members -represent not only a smaller number of electors than do the individual white members of the House, hut only a small proportion of the Natives in their respective districts. The constituency represented bv -Mr. Urn. for instance, comprising: the* whole of the South Island, contains barely a thousand Native voters, 2000 or HOW) other Natives being on the European rolls and voting; for European members. It is an anomaly that the OfiS Maoris who voted for the Southern Maori mem'ber should need a special representative. In the North Island, in neither of the contested Maori elections was the number of voters as large as in the average European constituency. The cost of this special 'Maori representation is cut of all proportion to the advantages it confers on the Natives concerned, whose particular rights and privileges could be guarded just as well if some able member of the race was appointed Native Minister with a seat in the 'Upp er House. ,