MAORIS AND THE KAVY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 113, 5 February 1908, Page 9

MAORIS AND THE KAVY.

■ '• . / . The. Maori .or. old ,'wao a , great .'navigator, but tbo -modern Maori. is npt allowed;, to : bp. como even a rccruit in tbo. Navy.';-.Sir-Wil-liam' Steward, M.P., forwarded recently to tho oiiptiiiivot the Challenger an application made by 'one of' hjs'Maori constitutonts for onrolmont' as a' rccrviif. , V', 1 ; . Tho captam wrote back ;"In roply to 'your letter of the 17th instant, T have tho honourto inform you that as. the'regulations .lay down' tbrti' candidates for entry must ho British subjects of European'extraction, the young man yoii'recommend is not ellgiblo for enrolment."

Sir William Steward then communicated with the Premier, stating iii'his'.letter:— Tlio candidate is. physically a first-class reoriiitj just- twenty-one years' of ago; 'oft. 7iu'. in height, 40 inches chest measurement, and wol] ednnatqej, speaking -as' good English as Alr. Ngata pr.'Mr, Carroll, and J was'greatly surprised that his being a full-blood: Maori prevents his .'accoptanco..' I certainly' think that in view.. of tho loyal service given to the flag by so many Maoris,-arid t-lie-high status of the filaori pooplo,. Un (.'(Fort, Should be 'made to obtain an uniendnioiit of the naval .'regulations;* and. feel sure that if you' can secure ' this it would be a source of much satisfaction' to. the. Maori, population of-the Dominion." The Premier has replied stating that lie has. represented the. matter to tho Governor who has been asked to take tlio necessary stops to try to; living about ah amendment of . the. regulation. , ' '