£25,675 In Maori Education Appeal

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 14

£25,675 In Maori Education Appeal

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. April 15. Tne campaign for funds for the Maori Education Foundation has so far realised £25,675 This is in addition to the £250.000 capital which the foundation had at the beginning of the campaign. The total was announced by the Maori Education Foundation CTiairman (Mr D. G. Ball) today. While he had hoped that even at this stage of the campaign much more money would have been raised, he felt that from now on “it would come in with a spurt.” Mr Ball appealed to all those with the welfare of the Maori people, and therefore New Zealand, at heart to back up their belief by supporting the foundation. "The time for action is now as the fund-raising campaign is moving into its final stage,” he said.

He was perhaps disappointed that even now the total was not greater, but he realised trial many of the fund-raising committees were only just getting into their

stride. Many planned major efforts during the coming week. Further, numbers of firms were still considering the degree to which they would assist. He believed to at they would do the right thing by the foundation as a massive endowment was needed for it to achieve its objective of lifting Maori educational standards to those of the paketu. There had been several encouraging featores of the campaign, one of which was the tremendous effort that numbers of volunteer workers were putting in day and nisht. said Mr Ball. Tiie attitude of the Federation of Labour in urging its members to become annual members of the foundation was to be commended Seasonal workers in Mrttueka were contributing week-end earnings In the Nelson district. Macri workers were giving a day’s pay to the foundation. This was being subsidised by employers. Then there waa the magnificent bequest of a minimum of £59,000 from a New Zealander living in the United States. This was not, of course, payable till after the death of the donor and could not be counted in the current fund-raising campaign. Mr Ball saaid that a feature that had been most heartening was the Maori response in both effort and money. On a population basis, it had been out of all proportion. Any fears that the Maori people would not help themselves could be dispelled by the evidence. He appealed to toe pakeha people in particular to “oome in with a rush” in support of the foundation. When they did, he felt sure that the Maori people would in turn take care that they were not outdone.