MINISTER OF NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 36

MINISTER OF NATIVE AFFAIRS.

. MAORIS WANT COATES, i HON. A. T. NGATA’S TRIBUTE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, February 22. The Evening Post reporter who accompanied the Prime Minister to the recent Slioai gathering oi the East Coast says that one reference was made by Hemi Baata. of Wairoa, who, after expressV*s gratitude Ur the Prims Minister for' hia Rjrmpathetic remarks in his curlier Bpaaches, said: “We ask you not to transfer the portfolio of Native Affairs to anybody else, or if it must be transferred, transfer it to one of the Native members, preferably the member for our district (the Hon. A. T. Ngata). Subsequently Air Ngata, in a long addri**is covering a wide range of matters affecting the welfare of the Maori, said: “It is the united feeling of the East Coast Maoris, Sir, that you should retain the portfolio of Native Affairs. The reason is not far to seek. The reason is that you take a sympathetic view oi' Native affairs; ether you take a correct view or not is another matter, but you take a sympathetic view, anil that is half the battle. I think that the present time is a critical one with us. You have been returned with the full strength of the pakeha behind you. Tho ball is absolutely at your feet. The feelings of the pakeha may prevail, and the interest of 1,600,000 pakehas against the interests of 60,000 M aoris, and not deliberately, indeed, but insensibly. Unconsciously a movement may sway you from your present sympathy with the Maori. Wo have place J the whole of jour future in your hands, banking not pnly on your good heart, but on the memory- of your younger days when you 9?ere brought up among our people in the north. We ask you to help us. It does not matter a hang to me whether I am a [Native .Minister or not. I have never Worried about office, but so long as I am there I will put every ounce of strength I have In me and behind me to help you. *—(Applause.) You are no orator, sir. Xou understand the sense in which I mean JL but we believe you speak for young iIW Zealand, and the young New Zealander is no orator, interlarding his speech frith strange oaths, but we want you to

interpret for us for a long while to come the feelings of young New Zealand, ani to continue to tell us what the young New Zealander is thinking about, the things of the day.”—(Applause. In a reply covering most of the points raised by Mr Ngata and other speakers the Prime Minister touched very briefly on the question of the portfolio of Native Affairs. ‘‘Mr Ngata can rest assured,” ho said, "that of the different portfolios which I administer the one that comes first always is the portfolio of Native Affairs.— (Applause.) Judging from Mr Ngata's remarks I have got more heart than head. Well, it does not matter who has got the heart and who the head. If Mr Ngata and Sir Maui Pomare have got the head, and I am the only one who has got the heart, well, we should be able to get together and accomplish something.”— (Laughter and applause.)