USING OUR INDEPENDENCE

Te Ao Hou, June 1961, Page 44

USING OUR INDEPENDENCE by MARY FINDLAY Assistant Secretary, Maori Women's Welfare League For years the league looked longingly at independence—it had all the enchantment of the distant view, now the dream has become reality and reality is a down to earth matter. Now that we have Independence how are we going to use it? We have justified our claims, but how are we going to justify the continuance of Government support to the tune of £2,000 per year? Some say we deserve now, and will certainly deserve in the future, an increase in that allowance. The cost of administration of the League can be measured fairly accurately in terms of salaries of its servants and rent for office space—Maori Affairs Department is saved this expenditure by League Self Government. But the overall saving cannot even be surmised, and it is in this field that the League must by increasing its membership and thus its influence, justify its right to self-government financed by public monies. The value of the League's work has been recognised by the appropriate authorities but it remains for the members themselves to explore the full potential of the movement. Our Independence then, is a physical reality. We have our own office and paid servants—we are running our own show. The Government grant roughly covers the cost of salaries, rent, lighting, heating and some stationery, the remaining incidentals being met by subscriptions. The money for furnishing and equipping the office came from Day of Giving funds, the first use made of this money so wisely set aside against the realisation of the dream of Independence. So much for the independent body. What is needed now is an independent mind—a critical approach to our organisation, and a practical solution of our problems within its framework. We must not allow ourselves to be blown by the four winds but rather must we decide on our course and steer by compass. Let us take our Constitution as our compass and our pledged landfall the achievement of better health, housing and education among our Maori people. Let each member read and understand her Constitution and try to carry out the letter and the spirit of it.