MAORI REPRESENTATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14457, 25 February 1909, Page 7

MAORI REPRESENTATION.

fFp.osi Our Own CoitnF.spoNDENT.)

WELLINGTON, February. 23. On Hie subject of special Maori representation the Prime Minister was asked by a Post reporter ; f lie would express an opinion regard in:; (lie suggrslion that the system' 'should be abolished and (he Native electors placed on the European rolls. Me replied that in his opinion the .Maori representation had on the whole proved a valuable part of the Constitution of the country, and that it had greatly assisted to facilitate the settlement of many difficult (pieslions which hail arisen as between tha two races. "It must be remembered," he continued, "that there are still many important matters of interest to both' Natives and Europeans which have to be dealt with by the Legislature, and in these cases it is to their own .special repieseiilnlives Iha I the Maori people can hi'* For guiadneo end information with •a degree of confidence that they could no' be expected to display in regard to nieinbets outside their own race." Sir. Joseph added that he considered the omission of any provision for Native representation was one of the weed; points of the new South African Constitution, and he had pointed this out when his opinion was recently fought in regard lo that- constitution. lie did not think tho time was ripe for the abolition of the special Maori representation in this country. As to the question of party, if the Natives were placed on the European rolls instead of electing their own members be bad no doubt that- the causes which now led them to elect supporters of a particular party would still continue to operate in districts in which they were a predominating factor.

— It takes three second-, for a cable mes> sage to cross the Atlantic. — Seventy-five per cent, of the meat coil' 6umed in England coincs Jroiu foreign oountrica,