MAORI WAR EFFORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24543, 27 March 1943, Page 6

MAORI WAR EFFORT

CONTRIBUTIONS TO FUNDS MINISTER ANSWERS CRITICS (0.C.) HAMILTON, Friday A reply to criticism made at a meeting of the Northland Zone Patriotic Executive on Wednesday, of alleged interference by the Maori war effort with inter-zone patriotic work, was made to-night by the Minister in charge of the Maori War Effort, the Hon. P. K. Paikea. Mr. Paikea said it appeared that the Northland executive was labouring under a misapprehension and was, more or less, accusing the Maori war effort organisation of obtaining money under false pretences and of using back-door methods in pursuing its objective. If that was so, he wished to disabuse their minds immediately. It had been suggested that the Maori war effort was creating a cleavage between Maori and pakeha, Mr. Paikea said. This could be disproved. The quotas for patriotic funds for the last year throughout the Dominion had, in the main, not been fulfilled. In the Bay of Islands inter-zone in particular, the Maori quota headed the list, 70 per cent of the amount asked for having been subscribed. In other parts of Northland Maoris had subscribed at least 50 per cent. The position was that funds subscribed by the Maori people for the Maori war effort were in no sense patriotic moneys, but were contributed by tribal and executive committees, and Maori trust boards, institutions, societies and clubs from their own funds, raised by them for their own particular purposes. These funds were not raised under the guise of patriotic subscriptions. Referring to the sum of £ISOO remitted to the Maori Battalion in Egypt, Mr. Paikea said the Maori people regarded their soldiers not as individuals, but as sons of the whole race. This was a sentiment characteristic of the Maori people through the centuries. They, therefore, felt that these boys should receive Christmas cheer from the whole race. WEST COAST COAL SHIPPING DIFFICULTY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Friday Shoaling at the Greymouth and Westport harbour bars is presenting difficulties in shipping full loads of coal, stated the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, to-day. He said the Minister of Marine, the Hon. J. O'Brien, had arranged for experts to visit the West Coast to see what immediate improvements can be made. "I am definitely worried about the condition of the Greymouth and Westport bars," said Mr. Webb. "As a result of the shoaling, some ships have had to leave short-loaded by as much as 700 to 1000 tons. In some cases it takes about three ships to got out what two could carry under normal conditions. On his visit to the West Coast the Minister met representatives of the Westport Coal Company and discussed with them the question of supplies from the Westport field. An endeavour, he said, was being made to expedite the opening up of another area, over which 4.000,000 tons of good bituminous coal had already been proven. Considerable capital outlay was required for this project for the purchase of an aerial system to convey the coal. Since his return to Wellington the Minister has met representatives of the Stockton Coal Company. Mr. Webb said they were very much concerned about their future supplies of coal. It appeared from the last survey made that about another three years would see the end of that mine. PROLONGED DRY SPELL CONDITIONS IN NORTHLAND (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Friday A most prolonged dry spell has parched Northland pasturelands, dried up watering places for stock and seriously affected what little cropping has been done this season. One 2000-ton dairy factory unit is already over 100 tons down, compared with last year's output, and cream production is tapering off six weeks earlier than usual. Neither tlio condition of, nor the market for, stock has been materially affected. A sprinkle of rain last night was insufficient to lay the dust lying on roads or to freshen the browned paddocks. NO EXCURSION TRAINS No excursion trains will run from Auckland or southern districts to Ngaruawahia to-day for the regatta, owing to the heavy demand on rolling stock. There is no accommodation on the train leaving for Frankton at 7 a.m., the Taneatua express at 9.8 a.m. or the express for Rotorua, leaving Auckland at 10.10 a.m.