MAORI LEADERS’ CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25796, 6 May 1949, Page 9

MAORI LEADERS’ CONFERENCE

BISHOP BENNETT’S SUGGESTION PROBLEM OF DELINQUENCY IN CITIES (New Zealand Press Association.) NAPIER, May 5. A conference of leaders of the Maori people to discuss delinquency among young Maoris going to five in cities was advocated to-day by the Bishop of Ao-tea-roa (the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett), commenting on a Statement by the Chief Justice (Sir Humphrey O’Leary) in the. Supreme Court yesterday that the gaol population of New Zealand was 25 per cent Maori, or part-Maori, and th;.t young Maoris going to cities were becoming , a disgrace to their people. “It is a rap over the knuckles from the Chief Justice, but what he says is quite correct and we cannot take umbrage at it,” said Bishop Bennett. “The Chief Justice is very wise to draw our attention to the matter, especially as it must have been hard for him to say what he did. We can only express our gratitude to him. “We have been distressed and worried by the problem, particularly as it does not just affect one section of the Maori people, but the whole of the race.”

Any reform must come from Within the Maori race, continued Bishop Bennett. He suggested that if there was a gathering of the leaders of the Maori people, some means of making young people more alive to their responsibilities to the community might be reached. He intended to bring the matter up at the conference of Maori leaders of the Church of England at Masterton later this month.