WELFARE OF MAORIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19136, 3 October 1936, Page 14

WELFARE OF MAORIS

AIMS OF FEDERATION CONFERENCE APPROVAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS (Por Press Association.) ROTORUA, last night. The representatives ot ALaon organisations in an parts; ot i\ew Zealand ana including those ol tne newly-tonned Maori anti raKena Federation discussed anu approved the adjects of the federation, Winch are to promote Maori social anu economic 'well-being »y every possible means, and it was stipulated that it was to oe strictly a non-political and nonsectarian body. , , it was decided that the lieadquarteis of the body lor the first year suould ue jn Rotorua and tne headquarters theieafter he decided at the annual meetings. The tirst orhcers of the federation wui be: President, Air. Hemana Pokilia (Rotorua); secretary, Major It. lfansey li-totorua); treasurer, Air. D. Tatere (Uanaevii'Ke); auditor, Air. M. It. J°t»ra (Jtiawera); publicity officer, Mr. W. E. Buliivant (Gisborne); executive committee, Mr. Turi Carroll (Wairoa), the Rev. Mr. Laughton (Taupo), Messrs, i. Hefei (Te RuitiJ, J. Asher (Tokaanu), U. Elliott (Te Kuitij, E. Edwards (Taranaki j, T, Bennett (Wanganui), and W. Bird (Murupara). •The comerence discussed . the question of the Maori council system and decided to recommend to the Government that it be retained, but that the powers and authority of members of the council be widened. INFLUENCE OF LIQUOR The opinion was expressed that, owing to the fact that the councils had no way of enforcing their authority or of collecting finance, their prestige and mana had suffered. Concern regarding the extent to which liquor, was undermining the morals and health:of the Maori race was expressed by a number of delegates during the course of a long discussion and the matter was referred to a special sub-commit-tee to draft an appropriate resolution for submission to the Government. Mr. Turi Carroll (Gisborne) expressed the opinion that differentiation against the Maori under the licensing laws was makihgi them back-door drinkers. Chinamen and negroes could obtain liquor in Nefa Zealand, where the Maori was denied it. , , ■ Archdeacon It. Hodgson (Rotorua) said that strong steps should bo taken to prevent the sale of the second-grade liquor which was dispensed in so many .New Zealand hotels. The true remedy was not prohibition, but self control. He considered that something should bo done to counteract the activities of large hotel combines and that the Maoris should' bo protected against bad liquor.