SIR M. POMARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 12

SIR M. POMARE.

GREAT BENEFACTOR MEMORIAL UNVEILED. CARVED MEETING HOUSE. LORD G Ali WAY OFFICIATES. (By Telegraph.—Special tb " Star.") NEW PLYMOUTH, this clay. A typical Maori welcome awaited the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, and Viscountess Galway, the Prime Minister and Minister of Native Affairs, tho Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and the Parliamentary party at Waitara to-day, when the unveiling of the memorial to the late Sir Maui Pomare took place. It was the climax to a ceremonial which had been in preparation for nearly a week, and it was characterised by all the pageantry eo expressive of Maori tradition. Accompanying Mr. Savage were the Hon. P. Eraser, the Hon. H. G.. R. Mason, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, the Hon. F. Jones, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, the Rt. Hon, G. W. Forbes, the Rt. Hon.-J. G. Coates, and a Parliamentary party numbering nearly 4C. Most of them travelled to Waitara by special train from Wellington, arriving at 7.30 this morning. The weather is dull, but fine. After a welcome by the Mayor, Mr. J. Hine, at the station, the visitors adjourned to the marae above the township where the official proceedings took place. It was estimated that nearly 5000 Maoris from all . parts of the Dominion were present, the gathering being the largest since that at Waitangi in 1934. In addition, there were many pakeha visitors.

The ceremony of welcoming the official visitors, occupied little more than an hour, during which warriors in full war paint, and women in native costume, representing various tribes, chanted and featured their welcome in their customary, picturesque fashion against _ a background of striking contrasts, dominated by the shrouded monument of Sir Maui Pomare and the beautiful new meeting house. After Mr. Savage, followed by Mr. Coates, Mr. Forbes and Mr. Fraser, had replied to expressions of welcome, the most solemn phase of the proceedings was observed. A short religious service, conducted by Bishop Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, prefaced the unveiling of the statue by Lord Galway. _ The service was conducted in both Maori and English, and after a brief speech, his Excellency released the cord that tied the shroud. Vociferous Welcome. Mr. Savage received a vociferous welcome when he rose to reply to the Maori welcome. He said it had been • his privilege to see Sir Maui in action in the House of Representatives and elsewhere, fighting the battles of the native race.

"I am sure I never saw him to better advantage than when he was fighting the battle of the Samoans in 1»27," said the Prime Minister. Mr. Savage read, two messages of good will from the ship Maui Pomare. One was from the good will delegation written by the Honf F. Langstone, and the other was from the- officers, the crew and the passengers on the ship.

"It has been my privilege to sit in the House of Representatives for long years with the late hon. gentleman,'' said Mr. Savage. "I never saw a man rise to greater heights than did Sir Maui on the occasion of the passing of the Samoa Act in 1927. It waa then that the spirit of the man was made plain to everyone. Where the interests of the native race were concerned, Sir Maui Pom~re always reached the greatest heights. It is the duty of those left behind to carry on the great work he commenced and see that justice is done in all fields to the great race which was so ably represented by the statesman we are remembering to-day." Mr. Savage returned thanks for the great welcome extended to the Government party. (Applause.) Mr. Coates' Tribute. Mr. Coates, who commenced and concluded his speech with a few Maori words, said that Sir Maui Pomare was one of New Zealand's great sons. It was on occasions such as the present that the great work of Sir Maui Pomare was recognised. The milestone had been firmly planted in the life of the nation. Sir Maui had helped towards a better understanding between the two races, and it was only by such understanding that happiness and contentment could be reached.

Mr. Forbes said he and Sir Maui had been friends from the day the latter entered Parliament. He was a worthy representative of the Maori people. He had done his best to advance the welfare of the Maoris. "We are all New Zealanders," he said, "and I want to see the country go ahead, and to see the Maori people taking their part in the life of the Dominion." Mr. Forbes referred to the historical battlegrounds of the district, where the Maoris had proved themselves a worthy and brave people. They deserved all the best that could be done for them at the hands of Parliament. The future of the Maori was along the lines of farming. What had been commenced by Sir Apirana Xgata in the development of Maori land he hoped would be continued by the Government. "Great And Illustrious." Mr. Fraser referred to Sir Maui Pomare as a great and illustrious man. He was a great benefactor to both the Maori and" pakeha. He had been in charge of the health of the whole people and he was one of the greatest of Ministers of Health the Dominion ever had.

His lioart went out to the sick and suffering, and he dicl all he could to succour them. He helped the ailing in the Maoris pas as well as in the homes of the pakeha.. set a high standard in the care of the weak and afflicted, i He laid a foundation on which others were privileged to build. Maori and pakelia should pull together in the great canoe of good feeling and good will in order that happiness and prosperity might come to them all. Governor-General's Remarks. In unveiling the memorial to Sir Maui, and declaring the meeting house open, the Governor-General said the great gathering was assembled to honour one of New Zealand's greatest men. As representative of the King, he assured those present that King Edward Vlll.'s sympathy and interest in all his peoples never ceased. .On the passing of King George, many'expressive tributes were sent through the Government from the Maori people in the King's sorrow, expressed in most poetic language. Viscount Galway said he had been grr/tly impressed with the beauty of the expressions, and had written to Hi s Majesty conveying the tributes. He had received an answer, stating that His Majesty had been specially touched by the messages from the Maori people. He paid a tribute to the work Sir Maui Pomare had done in respect to the health and prosperity of his people. Health and happiness went hand in hand. Sir Maui realised that the Maori people must adapt themselves to present conditions in order to obtain future prosperity and succcss. Sir Maui's work was proved by the great additions in numbers of the Maori people revealed by tho recent census. The greatest men were those who inspired others to carry out great works. The of men were benefactors of the human race. The ceremony closed with the pro- 1 nouncing of the Benediction by Bishop Bennett.