BIG GATHERING URGED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19824, 29 December 1938, Page 14

BIG GATHERING URGED

VIEW ‘OF MAORI CHIEFS CENTENARY FESTIVAL WAITANGI CELEBRATIONS ■ { A':;.: • (Per Pressi Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Maori participation in the New Zealand centennial celebrations, with particular reference to tire national Maori gathering to'be held at Waitangi and those planned by the metropolitan executive of the Auckland provincial centennial council were discussed yesterday at Orakei by a conference oP about- 30 dhiefs and other representatives of tribes throughout New Zealand. The conference had been convened unofficially by the tribes themselves for the purpose of considering, the rjart to be played by the Maori race in the celebrations, botli national and local. It was decided to recommend that the national gathering at Waitangi should he on a scale that would enable ,the whole race to be represented by tribal delegations of a size befitting the centenary of the treaty and larger than those which the Government was understood to have in mind. A committee was set up to report upon various other questions. Furiher sittings will -be 'held and it is expected that the full, recommendations of the conference will be available by the end of the week.