AMONG THE MAORIS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 304, 23 November 1937, Page 4

AMONG THE MAORIS

MINISTER OF EDUCATION. TYPICAL CEREMONY. Pci - Press Association. ROTORUA, Nov. 22. Greeted with a resounding native war challenge as lie approached the rnarae of the Ngati Manawa and Tuhoe tribes, who inhabit the Urewera Country, the Minister of Education, Hon. P. Fraser, was received with typical Maori ceremony by a large gathering of Maori and European settlers when he visited the small settlement of To Whaiti, on the outskirts of the Urewera, to-day, to perform the opening ceremony of a new native school. There, in his capacity ns Minister in Charge of the Police Department, Mr Fraser also officially opened a new police station and constable’s residence. ' Replying to orations delivered by the Maori leaders, Mr Fraser assured them of the goodwill of the Government and congratulated them on the good Work being carried out by the Maori people in developing their own lands. He assured them that as soon as possible consideration would be given to the possibility of developing certain areas in the Urewera. The Minister said that since he had taken over the portfolio of Education he had discovered that many of the School buildings in the Ilominion were in an atrocious state of disrepair and he said that it was the Government’s intention to remedy this state of affairs without delay. He also said that it would be his policy to increase the number of nntive nurses to give better health facilities to the Maori people, and that it was the Government’s intention to improve Maori housing. The Minister, before his departure, was entertained at a Maori feast, the food being prepared in a large stone oven built for the occasion.