THE PRIME MINISTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23527, 16 June 1938, Page 12

THE PRIME MINISTER

TOUR OF NORTH ISLAND RECEPTIONS IN WANGANUI DISTRICT VISIT TO RATANA SETTLEMENT i Per United Press Association) WANGANUI, June 15. Cordial receptions have been accorded to the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) in every locality visited in the Wanganui district. Mr Savage arrived at Marton for lunch to-day, and came on from there to the school at Turakina, where, after a brief address to the children, he travelled to Ratana Pa. He saw the famous Ratana temple and the Museum of quaint Maori relics. He was greeted by lusty singing at the Ratana School, and afterwards was accorded a typical Ratana welcome from 500 Natives assembled in the meeting house, and headed by Mr T. W. Ratana. After leaving the pa Mr Savage, who .was accompanied by the Minister of Mines (Mr P. C. Webb) motored to the Eastown Railway Workshops, and there, to the accompaniment of the shops’ brass band, received another warm welcome.

To-night there was a packed audience at the Opera House to meet the Prime Minister and hear his quiet eulogy of the Government. Mr Savage referred to the Government’s social security scheme, stating that it was the intention to extend it eventually to include all sections of the community. Naturally, it was only right to start at the lower end of the wage scale, and 80 per cent, of the people would come under the scheme as at present constituted. “The other 20 per cent, will not,” said Mr Savage,” and good luck to them.”

At each meeting Mr Savage made it clear that he was not present to talk politics but to meet the people as a friend.

Addressing the Prime Minister at the Ratana settlement to-day, Mr T. W. Ratana said that matters of importance he wished to bring before Mr Savage were Maori land grievances and the necessity for enforcing the Treaty of Waitangi. The speaker said that a sort of pact had been made with the late Mr H. E. Holland when he was Leader of the Opposition, that in the event of Labour ever getting on the Treasury benches it would do its best for the Maori people. A commission had been set up and had gone into the land grievance question and the decision of the commission was awaited with interest. So Tar as Ratana itself was concerned the speaker drew attention to the smallness of the Assembly Hall for such a large gathering. Speaking on behalf of the 40,000 followers of the Ratana movement he asked the Prime Minister to set a time to come to the pa and discuss the question of improving the accommodation. Mr Ratana commended the legislation of the Government.

“ With regard to your land grievances they will be put right as rapidly as it is humanly possible,” said Mr Savage in reply. “You must realise that even Governments are limited in what they can do in a certain time. We cannot do everything at once or as fast as we would like. We have inherited the sins of generations of Governments that have passed away. I want you to regard me as a friend of the Native race and to remember that I will always be glad to do what is humanly possible for you. I want Mr Ratana, sen., to know that I have not forgotten his mission to my room in Wellington, and I would have him know that I am a man of my word and that I will live up to every promise I made.” (Prolonged applause.)