VOICE OF MAORILAND

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3847, 1 October 1932, Page 6

VOICE OF MAORILAND

AIAORI M.l’.’s MAIDEN SPEECH

(Per Pres# Association.) Wellington, Sept. 29.

“A budding imlitieian, I have not been here long, but 1 liuve learned since I have been liere that one must ho a terribly goo.l lighter and also a terribly good wriggler,” observed Mr E. T. Tlrikateno (Ind, Southern iMaori), at the outset of his maiden ■ speech to-day. He declared himself as an Independent who represented tlie Katana Church, remarking that die would “stand on the fence and look oyer it.”

Much attention was given by Air. Tirikatene to the system of voting for Maori elections. He criticised the methods, saying that no seerecy was ensured, and that there was a distinct danger of mistakes, especially when the names of the candidates were similar. He explained that under the present system there were two officers In the booth, and a native on going in the booth was asked for whom he wanted to vote. ’ lie gave the name of the candidate he .favoured, and this was written down.