MAORI SOLDIERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13931, 2 March 1916, Page 5

MAORI SOLDIERS.

WANT TO FIGHT TOGETHER. RESOLUTION~W TRIBAL - REPRESENTATIVES. (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. Wherever there are native settlements, the question as to the fate of the Maori Contingent -sis a separate unit is being disc-ussed with great seriousness. xllecruiting among the Maoris is iiot' likely to go ahead smartly until this niatter is settled by the authorities. A few weeks ago, it was reported that the Maoris were to be' placed together again in one unit, but as the report failed to receive* prompt official.confirmation, it was discusseil at a meeting of Maori tribal representatives at Otaki last week, following the funeral of the late Teuma-Kaihau Taipua, son of the liitc Hoahi Taipua, wh owas formerly the member for the Western Maori electorate. The result was the following resolution : — "That this representative gathering of natives strongly resents the splitting up of the Maori contingent now at the front, respectfully draws the attention of the Government to the fact, and requests that the- Maori Contingent and reinforcements be again reconstituted as a separate unit as heretofore." This resolution gains importance from the f^ct that it is subscribed to by the representatives of ten North Island tribes, this being a majority of the tribes, and that it includes the Whanganui. who have sent the largest number of men. ; tQ the^ front, .