MAORI RACE

Southland Times, Issue 19966, 4 September 1926, Page 8

MAORI RACE

GRACEFUL TRIBUTE SPEECH BY PRIME MINISTER WORTHY CITIZENS OF THE EMPIRE. (Special to the Times., Wellington, September 3. A graceful tribute to the resource, and the loyalty of the Maori race was paid by the Minister for Native Affairs, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, in the House to-day, when the report on the commission on the reconstruction of the native villages of Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa was presented. The Maoris, said Mr Coates, would at all times do all they could to assist the Government of the country without any thought to their own personal advantage and apart altogether from any personal aspects. They lent a picturesquesness to the country that did not exist anywhere else. Continuing, the Minister of Native Affairs said, “As far as the character and personal worth of the Maori race is concerned, it is undoubted. On every occasion when the call rally to the Empire has been sounded they have always been amongst the first in our population to come forward and do service for this Dominion. In the last war when assistance was sought, our Maori people stood shoulder to shoulder alongside us, and in addition to all this, this people has produced some of our foremost statesmen, men who in this House and Parliament have proved themselves to be amongst the most honoured and progressive of our advisors.” Referring to the report of the commission, the Minister added that the effort outlined, although a small one and it had come late, served to indicate that there were men and women in the country who appreciated the nature of the proposals and did not attempt to throw cold water upon them or upon the recommendations. On the other hand, they recognised more than they perhaps felt, the value of maintaining some of the characteristics of this ancient and splendid race. He wished to express to the Arawa tribe appreciation by the Government of their ready cooneration in this matter. In setting up the commission it was recognised that there might be d’fficulties in overcoming some of the sentiments of the inhabitants of the villages referred to. There were tribial difficulties to be dealt with, and also jealousies. The Awaras were a particularly proud neople who valued a lot of historical spots more than a pakeha imagined, but they had readily accepted the proposals made to them. The recommendations would be generally given effect to.