RATANA BANK

Evening Star, Issue 19001, 24 July 1925, Page 4

RATANA BANK

* $ QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT A PERTURBED MEMBER. [from OUR rARI.IAMENTART IIKrOUTKJI.] WELLINGTON, July 23. What he described as a question very vitally affecting the welfare of the Maori people was put by Mr Jsitt in the House to-day to the Prime Minister. Mr Tsitt asked if the Government was alive to the serious influence of the Katana movement upon the wellbeing of Maoris, and would lie take stops to Stop this menace to them, even if it meant passing special legislation? He had been informed by a prominent solicitor in one centre That a Maori client was absolutely stripping himself of money, consequently the solicitor had refused to hand over any more of his client’s money, in the hope that a prosecution would follow, thus exposing the whole affair. Mr Coates assured the House that the Government was making a careful note of developments in the Katana movement, including a hank, and it had gained a good deal of information. "Nothing had been done to warrant the Government taking action, hut as Minister of Native Affairs ho considered it his duty to protect the Native people wherever possible from anything which might be pernicious, in regard to banks or anything else. The ramifications of the suggested bank would be very carefully watched. ANTIDOTE TO MAORI MOVEMENTS.

When the Hon. Mr Ngata was discussing at a later stage the educational needs of the Maori children, lie remarked that disconcerting news had been appearing in the Press about Native movements, and be _ believed these things could not occur if the appeal of education had prevailed against superstition and misunderstanding, due largely to ignorance. Ho would not single out any movement, but they emanated every few years, generally from the Western Maori electorate, which was the district where there existed the greatest weakness in the Maori education system. There were fewer Native .schools on the West Coast and in Waikato than elsewhere, but where the Maori was well educated one would not find very much superstition, new churches, or reactionary movements.