MAORI WELFARE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22525, 16 September 1936, Page 17

MAORI WELFARE

Sir, —The conference on Maori welfare held in Wellington last week was heeded by the majority of Maoris with' much seriousness, first, because the matters discussed were of paramount, importance to the race, and, second, because the representation at this conference was predominantly European. Though some among them were eminently suitable to discuss Maori welfare, others, while being very capable people along other lines, were decidedly not the right persons to deliberate and decide upon questions affecting future legislation for the Maoris. In the King Country are a number of prominent welfare workers and among the Maoris' own ranks are people who, if they had been given a chance to represent their views, would have created more confidence in the outcome of the conference. I note that representation (native) was accorded the East Coast tribes and, while this was quite in order, ask why we Maoris in the King Country, although a large body, were not accorded even one representative. Therefore it is felt that the native schools, which have in the past and will still cgntinue to be of decided advantage to some districts, such as the East Coast and North' Auckland, will in our district still rest in the same unsatisfactory manner as before and not one atom of improvement will result as far as education for Maoris in the King Country is concerned. This is because in the above-mentioned districts native schools are very numerous, whrle in the King Country native schools are very, very few. Thus Maori children attending native schools have from the time they enter all their books and medicines, etc., provided absolutely free of cost; then, if thev desire a secondary education, it is easily obtainable, since 90 per fcent of Government scholarships are allocated sololy for their privileged use. As wo in the King Country have so few native schools, most of the children attend the public schools and have to pay their way from the time thev enter until they leave. As only 10 Government scholarships are granted to the whole of New Zealand for Maori children attending other than native schools the chance of obtaining one is very remote. P. W. Emery.