MAORI RETURNED SOLDIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25560, 13 June 1944, Page 4

MAORI RETURNED SOLDIERS

ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION PROTEST BY ROTORUA R.S.A, (PA) ROTORUA, June 12. At a sitting of the Man-power Appeal Committee at Rotorua last week a firm of builders appealed against a direction to employ two Maori returned soldiers as carpenters at- Karapiro. It was stated that the cook at Karapiro refused to cater for Maoris. The men on the work were antagonistic to under-rate workers being employed, and the man leading the agitation against them was held on appeal from the army. The appeal was dismissed. nl a statement on Saturday Mr B. Gordon Edwards, president of the Rotorua R.S.A., said that the proceedings must arouse great indignation in all good citizens, particularly returned soldiers. The view of the R.S.A. was that there was no division between pakeha and Maori. All returned men would endorse this. In war activities the Maoris had set an example of loyalty and duty. The cook at Karapiro who was alleged to have refused to serve the two Maoris should immediately be drafted into the army. Mr Edwards, said he hoped that the proper authorities would act immediately in this instance, and also with any other eligible man protected for industrial purposes who wished to discriminate in this way.