HELPING THE MAORI.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 16, 18 January 1913, Page 11

HELPING THE MAORI.

J IBy Tele—a-pi.—Press issoci-tlon.) j WELLINGTON, this day. I Commissioner Richards, of the Salvation Army, who returned from a trip to the North to-day, made an interesting statement respecting the Army's fish and bacon curing factory at Tauranga. "We inaugurated the factory," he said, "to relieve the Maori population of a measure of the distress in which they then existed about six or seven years ago. The real object of the industry was to assist the Maoris to get on the land. To-day we find that we have achieved that object. When I was there I saw splendid fields of maize and kumaras. The Maoris are doinc well, and we shall now probably dispose of the business to- an Auckland firm, the real reason for which we started the business having disappeared. We do uot engage in competitive business. We simply engage in business for the general and particular benefit of humanity. We could, if we so desired, run the establishment as a great bacon and fish curing f.-t-tory, but the farmers are able to do th :t for themselves.