EQUALITY OF MAORI AND PAKEHA

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21733, 16 March 1936, Page 15

EQUALITY OF MAORI AND PAKEHA

GOVERNMENT’S ONLY MISSION NATIVE GATHERING AT OTAKI (FBB9B ASBOCIAXIOV THJtOBAJt.I WELLINGTON, March.ls. Maori and pakeha gathered together in one spirit at Otaki .yesterday tot the opening of the whare, Runanga • Raukawa—the new meeting house of the Ngati-Raukawa Maoris, King Kotoki, Princess Te Puea, of the proudest Maori blood in New Zealand, and 1500 Maoris of the six main tribes, and many sub-tribes, came from all, parts _ of the North Island, , except North ;■ Auckland, and assembled ih Hie court- ; yard before the meeting , house.- Their presence gave the ceremony tfae signifl- i cance of which it was worthy. The t Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J. Savage, ■ who is also Minister lor Native Affairs,: was present.-The form of the ceremony V followed as closely as possible that * laid down by ancient custom. The assurance that Maori and pakeha' would receive equal treatment under , the Labour Government, and that members of the native race taking con-; tracts, for which they will be respond sible to the Government, will be paid: according to European standards, was given by the Prime Minister. "The Government I represent has only one mission on -earth and that Is to treat men and women as* equals, that is, whether they are pakeha or whether they are Maori. It will be our duty to interpret the Waitangi TVeaty and to give effect to it not only in the spirit, but in the letter of' its pro-~ visions. We realise the size of the problem facing us, but we face It without fear,”, .