RED-TAPE AND THE MAORIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 14

RED-TAPE AND THE MAORIS

(To the Editor of tlie Herald.) Sir, —Mr. George Graham, secretary of tlie Akarana Maori Association, Auckland, is reported in your issue of August 14 to have asked at a meeting, of the association: “Was it any wonder that the Maori was irritated by red-tape methods'!” I do not know whether Mr. Graham is sufficiently in touch with the Maori people to be in a position to know that there is amongst them irritationwith red-tape methods. Europeans, for that matter, often without thinking, sneer at officialism hut experience lias proved that it is essential in a huge organisation like the government of -a country. If red-tapism is necessary in tlie case of the pakeha it should be doubly so in the case of the Maori. The Akarana Maori Association would do much good if it would teach the Maoris to he always in order in all their dealings. particularly in their business matters. The Maori is naturally slack and to encourage him. therefore, to continue to be so is to do him untold harm.* Maori funds, as is well-known, are tinaccounted for because ordinary business methods were not adopted.—A ours, etc., R. T. KOHERE.