THE ARAWA TRIBE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 108, 7 April 1926, Page 4

THE ARAWA TRIBE

, DESIRE MAORI BISHOP. Per Pres* Association. ROTORUA, April 6. A representative meeting of the Church of England mombors of the Arawa tribe was held at Ohinemutn on April 4 and 5. The following resolutions were adopted:—(l) “This meeting of the Arawa tribe adheres to tho memorandum placed before tho Bishop at the conference held at Rotorua on June 24, 1925, tho last clause of which rends as follows: ‘Tho committee feels it its duty to inform the conference that amongst the Maori Church people there is a generally expressed desire that tho Bishop at tho head of tho mission bo a member of tho Maori race, but at the same time, in view of the difficulties which would of necessity surround tho office of the Bishop in his first appointment, tho committee docs not wish to stress the point. It would welcomo tho appointment were the Bishop pakelia or Maori.’ ” (2) “While wo recognise the many difficulties standing in the way of bishops agreeing to the appointment of a Maori as first bishop of tho new dioceso, we would respoctfully point out that there are also strong reasons on tho Maori side why they prefer a Maori as a bishop. While therefore prepared to give loyal support to a European as first bishop, they at tho same time, in the interests of tho Church as a whole, earnestly hope means will be found for the appointment at aS early a date as possible of nil assistant bishop, who shall be a member of the Maori race, and further trust that tho bishop will bo able to give this proposal the whole-hearted support at the General Synod.’ ’