MAORI LEADER'S DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20603, 30 June 1930, Page 10

MAORI LEADER'S DEATH.

SIR MAUI POMARE. DOCTOR AND POLITICIAN. SERVICE TO NATIVE RACE. A long career of. service to Now Zealand, and to the Maori race in particular, has closed with the death of Sir Maui Pomare, K.8.E., C.M.G., which occurred in California, according to private advice received in Wellington on Saturday. Sir Maui, who had been seriously ill for a long time, went to California some months ago for medical treatment and to avoid the rigours of the New Zealand winte/. Prior, to going away he had been confined to his home near Wellington for more than a year. . Sir Mj»ui Pomare was born at Pahou. Taranaki, on January 13, 1876,. being a son of Wiremu Naera Pomare, chief of the Ngatiawas. He was educated at the Boys' High School, Christchurch, and at Te Auto College, Hawke's Bay. He secured his medical degree in Chicago in 1899 and was appointed Government Health Officer to the Maoris in 1901. In 1912 he entered the House of Representatives as member for the Western Maori District, and the si;me year he was included in the first Ministry formed by the late Mr. Massey. Ho was a member of the Cabinet as representative of the Maori race. He acted in this capacity until the change of Government in 1928.

Maoris and the War. From 1916 to 1928 Sir Maui was Minister in charge of the Cook and other islands, and from 1923 to the early part of 1926 he was Minister of Health, serving under both the Massey and Coates Administrations, and he. also hold the portfolio of Internal Affairs under Mr. Coates. He was a Minister of the Crown continuously for 16 years, one of the longest records of service in the history of the New Zealand Parliam^pt. Knighthood conferred upon Sir Maui Pomare in June, 1922, was recognition of the loyalty with which the Maoris played their part as British citizens during the Great War, and, secondly, an acknowledgement of the work done by him, first as health officer, and then as Minister, in bringing the Maoris to recognise and observe the laws of health. Sir (then Dr.) Maui Pomare, with the other Maori members of Parliament, organised the Pioneer Battalion, which gained distinction at Gallipoli, and later in France. The voluntary response of the Maoris to the call for recruits was due mainly to the inspiration given by their leaders. Altogether between 4000 and 5000 Maoris, and about 500 Cook Islanders went to the front. The Maoris helped in other ways—by -gifts- of money and of land for the settlement of returned soldiers. ,

Native Health Reforms. Another notable part of Sir Maui Pomare's work was the safeguarding of the health of the natives in a' difficult A strong and hardy race under their natural conditions of living, the Maoris were threatened with extinction through contact with the white man and the attempt to adopt the white "man's mehods of living. As health officer to the Maoris for many years Sir Maui Pom are was responsible for the introduction of principles of health whose benefits are now becoming apparent. It was not always easy to persuade the Maoris that what was proposed was for their own welfare, and there was no little opposition to the reforms, which appeared to strike at the root of native custom and usage. The limitation of the tangi to three days, for example, was not welcomed, nor was the forcible legislative suppression of the tohunga. To help Maori women in sickness and maternity, suitable native girls were chosen, trained as nurses and sent to work in the villages and scattered districts. Their work has been of the utmost value. These reforms were 'first introduced by Sir Maui as health officer and carried on under his Ministerial oversight bv Dr. P Bnrk (Te Rangihiroa). The result of' their joint efforts is that the Maori population which had previously been practically stationary, or declining, has recently shown a marked increase. Sir Maui Pomare is survived by Lady Lomare, two sons and one daughter.

"AN EXAMPLE TO ALL." " TRIBUTE OF REFORM LEADER. [BT TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL REPORTER.] / WELLINGTON, Sunday. Few people realise the wido. knowledge Sir Maui Pomaro possessed of both domestic and Imperial politics," said the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, in paying a tribute to tho memory of his late 'colleague this evening. "Sir Maui Pomaro had been associated with the Reform Party since 1912," said Mr. Coates, and ho took an active part in the party s work, and also actod as an administrator until two years ago. Not many men could claim tho success he achieved as an administrator. It can be said that tho officers of his department always spoke in the highest terms of their chief. " His work among the Maori people was outstanding. He possessed the gift of knowing what was in the mind of the Maori, ana this was apparent in the way in which ho handled tho Ngaitahu claims in the South Island, and claims for confiscated native land in the North Island, both of which havo been dealt with by commissions which havo mado recommendations. The interest which Sir Maui • Pomare took in the education, health and general welfare of the Maori people must clearly indicate that he never forgot and always worked for his own people. I think it can be said that he has added to the understanding, progress and development of both race? witl) outstanding ability. " It can now be said," concluded Mr. Coates, "that one of the greatest totaras growing on one of our highest mountains has fallen, .and it behoves every young Maori and pakeha to endeavour to live up to tho example of that great tree. His memory stands out as an example to us all." "

by-election necessary. VOTING AT LAST ELECTION. Tho death o! Sir Maui Pomare will necessitate a by-election in tho Western Maori electorate, which extends as far north as Mangere and the Tamaki isthmus. At the general,, election in 1928 Sir Maui Pomare secured'4s42 votes and his only opponent, Mr. H. T. Ratana, a relative of the Maori " prophet" and a member of the political party formed among his followers, polled 2982 votes.