MAORI GRIEVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 159, 30 March 1908, Page 5

MAORI GRIEVANCE.

' '"MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION."

Sir, —Considering that certain influential Chiefs have voiced their grievances w respect to the lack ''of; suitable accommodation'in this the. Empiro city of Now' Zealand for themselves and their people, who from time to time aro obliged to come here at great expense'and inconvenience on business, I shonld like- to state that; I consider it ill becomes the Nativo Minister ;to speak of their pub■lishetl- wants in. the liglit and. off-handed mariner in. which lie does. in. your issue of March ,16. 1 . ' ' Admitting that Natives can s*" ' mes/got accommoflation in certain hotels ■ .nis city, I should like to ask whether the Native Minister is awarb : that something'is being done by disinterested Societies having for its object the uplifting of the people of the Native race?. It is all very well, for the Native Minister to sit down in the luxuriouslyfui'mshed apartments of the firstrdass hotels and say that the 'Natives can; usually find, accommodation: in .certain hotels. Docs/ho ask "'.your ' readers to understand that tho accommodation : which he refers to for Native women 1 arid children .is,calculated ,to. improve their moral tono?- I ;say no, emphatically no/:And I would further' that. in., his position'-as Native Ministers which, unfortunately, appears to ho a 'sinecure, ho should bo the last one to arrogato and rely in such accommodation: as ho speaks' of for his people. / ( If this "be all the solacb and consideration. t{iat' the Nativo Minister has'for his 1 people theriv tho sooner" another is. appointed, in his place the, better, ,and just here :'l'.would:suggest that the • "Ladies' League ■' investigate and satisfy, thomselycs of tho accommodation which the Nativo Minister recommends •'' bo' maintained. 'Referring to the £7000, annual grant by thA Imperial Government for the exclusive benefit'of" our Natives, the Nativo Minister says that £3000.0f it is annually transferred to . the HeAlth '.Department', for medicines, doctors, nurse-s, etc.;'for the Natives.' How much of this has been annually expended on tho Natives during the.many yours this fund has been available? I am a Now Zealander, have., travelled extensively among the Natives, and yet I."have not 'seen- a siriglo'"ilurse' at work,'a bottle of medicine, or a doctor.'sent by the Government. Mark you! Strango is it not? ".

: On the other hand, "I have seen;our Natives sued- by private medical practitioners for sums ranging • from four guineas to eighty pounds odd. Then, as to the balance, £1000, tho'Minister-evidently asks'us to believe that it is annually absorbed in providing, pensions and assisting indigent cases. I would insist that..this' £7000, grant should be annually/and Accurately accounted for as a separate account, preferably in oro or two pages of ourofficial Year Book. : ThiSj I claim, is due, not only to tho . Natives, but to tho Imperial Government, the donors of the grant.. Three thousand pounds for medical comforts! four thousand _pounds for indigent cases I . Go, think of it. Pah! Give them another Na''tiv«;Ministar.—l am, etc., •' , r v . H. JONES. . • March 26. . .'

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