MAORI WAR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 August 1924, Page 5

MAORI WAR.

VETERANS APPEAL TO PARLIA-

MENT

(By Telegraph—Special to the S tar.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. The number of Maori war veterans in New Zealand is fast diminishing, and Parliament was assured by the Government to-day- that .a final attempt should be made to secure comfort for them in their final years-. •.• , The Defence Committee reported to the House on the petition of Joseph' Ingley that he be granted the. New Zealand war medal and the privileges attached to it, or be given a compassionate allowance in lieu thereof. The committee stated that it fished to repeat last year’s recommendation that the request be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. It also dealt with the. petition of another Maori war veteran, James Rattenburg, of Waitara, who did not realise till 1921 that he was entitled to a Maori war medal, . He received it immediately on making application, and; he petitioned the House that the pension which goes with the medal should be granted retrospectively, from 1912, when the Pensions Act was passed. The Defence Committee referred this claim to the Government for consideration. Several members urged the Premier to sympathetically deal with the remnant of the old soldiers, who hardly exceed sixty in number to-day. -Mr. Massey replied that the difficulty was that if the matter was reopened there would be hundreds of claims, though many would not be sustained. He would consult Cabinet and see that something is done in .respect to the petitioners under notice in the way mentioned by the Defence Coinnrttee. ,

Mr. Potter, chairman of the'Defence Committee, specially urged the Government to take up these cases again, for the reason that many old soldiers were formerly in such circumstances that they would not apply for the pension. but through changed conditions it had become necessary, though out of a feeling pride some would not make the application. Although lie was not anxious to have the whole Question re-opened, he would t beseech the Government to realise its indebtedness to these fine old men.