MINISTER'S DEATH

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 81, 6 April 1943, Page 5

MINISTER'S DEATH

HON. P. K. PAIKEA

MAORI REPRESENTATIVE

Advice has been received of the death in a private hospital in Wanganui of the Hon. Paraire Karaka Paikea, representative of the Maori race on the Executive Council, M.P. for the Northern Maori constituency and Minister in Charge of the Maori War Effort, at the age of 49. Mr. Paikea entered hospital only yesterday. Born at Otamatea, Northland, Mr. Paikea was a descendant of Paikea te Hekeua, chief of the Ngatiwhatua tribe. He was educated at St. Stephen's Native College and spent six years at the Wesley Training College, being dux in 1914. An ordained minister of the Methodist Church, he followed the calling for ten years, until he took up an executive position in the Ratana Movement in 1925. Among positions he held with this movement were those of pirvate secretary to the founder and editor of the official organ.

Mr. Paikea unsuccessfully contested the Northern Maori seat in 1928, 1931 and 1935. He was appointed secretary to the Maori Advisory Council of the New Zealand Labour party in 1936 and' was returned to Parliament in 1938. A Press Association message from Wellington states that Mr. Paikea left Wellington late on Friday after*, noon to visit Mr. H. T. Ratana, M.P. for Western Maori, who is in hospital at Patea. On his way back to Ratana Pa on Saturday he became ill and was taken to hospital at Wanganui. It was not thought at the jtime that his condition was such as to cause concern, but a hemorrhage developed last night and he died at 2 o'clock this morning. ..- .