MAORIS AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 5

MAORIS AND POLITICS.

THE HAND OF THE POLITICAL' ■ , AGENT, . The 1 hand of-'the' political agent is (says ■ tho- Dargavillp correspondent of tho Auckland "Herald") discernible amidst the unprecedented interest simlixSring amongst natives in tho Northern Maori' electorate. > Tho electorate oxtci'.la from Tqmaki to tho North Cape, and'tho candidates in tho field aro: Korei'Witai, Kori To Ahu, Wiri Nehua, Homi To Paa, Huirua Tito, Ihu Moetara, Hereipeti Rapihana, and l'ohipi, whilst other names aro also mentioned. Several of tho candidates aro well edu-. cated, speak English. fluently, and aro avowed Oppositionists, aiid to this is attributed, tho under-current which is agitating tho wholo electorate. If the Government loses tho northern seat, a distinct gain of an important vote will result to Mr. Massoy and his party, and the mana of tho Native Minister will fall amongst tho 11,000" Natives who iijhabit tho electoiato. The advent of the-Maori, into full-political'privi-leges is in tho north a burning ques- 1 tion, and it , would be. extremely difficult to Grnl a solitary .Native.'antagonistic • to the insistaiico of Mr. Massoy that Maori representation should bo abolished, and that, with some minor restrictions, both races should enjoy equal political prestige. Intelligent Natives clearly recogniso that wore they merged into pakeha electorates, their votes would probably dominato certain polls, that pakeha Parliamentary representatives would not minimiso tho value of their demands, and that if such a position obtained, there is no reason why educated chieftains should'not represent a pakeha constituency equally as satisfactorily as docs tho Native Minister!