HALF CASTE OR FULL?

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1922, Page 6

HALF CASTE OR FULL?

QUALIFICATIONS AS VOTERS. A QUESTION OF DEGREE Three natives, Max Mason, Samuel Kipa, and John Kipa, attended before Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., at the Court at New Plymouth' yesterday in an endeavor to dispute the contention tof the Registrar of Electors (Mr. J. M. Adam) that they were not more than half-caste Maoris.

The four aspirants for votes had voted on the native rolls at. the last election for the native member of Parliament, but they met a passive resister in Mr. Adam when they desired to get on to the European roll for the coming election. There was nothing irregular with regard to their applications, but the Registrar was not satisfied that the applicants were half-castes-. The Legislative Act of 1908 provided that halt- . easte-s could be enrolled on the general : electors’ roll or on the roll prepared for the election of a Maori member, but anyone who was more than a half-caste could vote only on the native roll. If there was a doubt the applicant had to satisfy the Magistrate of his eligibility for enrolment. Max Mason was the first to enter the lists, but his knowledge of ms family tree was very limited. He thought that both his father and mother were half-castes and his father had told him he was a half-caste. He did not think his mother was a fullblooded Maori. That was as far as he got in his evidence, and he had no one wit’fi him to establish a fuller claim to European descent. The assistance of Mr. S. Jackson (interpreter) was then invoked on his behalf, and his records of the families’, not only knocked out Mason’s application, but that of the others as well. They were all more than half-caste. Mr. Mowlem inquired of the natives whether they desired to question Mr. Jackson but one of tnem replied: "Oh, no, he knows more about my people than I do, and what he says- is good enough for me. I stay where I am on the other roll.” Mr. Mowlem: He says, in effect, that you are more than a half-caste Maori. "Well, he can prove, it better than I can,” was the reply. One of the other applicants remarking, when the hopelessness of his claim became obvious, 7 ‘All right, the Maori roll will do me.” The claim of Wari Edwards, another applicant, fell into ft line with the others when it was stated that both his parents were full-blooded Maoris. Mr. Mowlem made an order directing the Registrar not to place any of the names on the roll.