MAORI RECRUITING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16508, 7 October 1915, Page 3

MAORI RECRUITING

CLERGYMAN'S REMARKS. NATIVES' LOYALTY DEFENDED. (Fkom Oun Own Corkespondent.) WELLINGTON, October 6. The remarks made recently at Pahiatua by tho Rev. Mr Bennett, the Maori pastor from Rotorua, about tho drain imposed on tho Maori manhood of tho country by the need of keeping up the Maori reinforcement® were referred to in the House this afternoon by Mr Pearce, who asked the Prima Minister whether Mr Bennett was not discouraging recruiting and thereby committing a breach of the law. The Minister said he had not taken notice of what Mr Bennett said with a view to taking action of any kind. He did not think the speech would discourage tho Maoris from taking advantage of a privilege they _ valued highly—that of serving the Empire in this war. "I am sure that the feeling of the Maoris in this country," said Mr Parata, "is that so long as tho Empire is covered with the cloud of war they are prepared to do their part'.—(' Hear, hear.') I believe that if the last Maoris have to go to war on behalf of thp Empire under whose benign laws they fire proud to live, they will go to the last man.—(' Hear, hear.') _ I trust thfit the Houee and the country will not accept the utterances of any one man as representing the feelings of the Maori people of this dominion."