MAORI WAR VETERANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1926, Page 11

MAORI WAR VETERANS.

FINANCIAL AID ASKED. WHY REQUESTS WERE REFUSED. NOT IN TO TIME. (By Wire —Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. “The financial consideration of the Government for the diminishing number of survivors of the Maori Wars” was urged in the House of Representatives to-day, when several members asked that legislation should be placed in the Washing-up Bill to provide for them. The Petitions Committee reported upon a Wellington petition for the Maori War medal, and a compassionate allowance, and recommended that the petition be referred to the Government for consideration. Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central) expressed regret that the recommendation was not a favourable one. Although the petitioner had seen active service in the Maori Wars, he had never actually been under fire, and this had proved to his disadvantage before the committee. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) asked that the Government should provide assistance for all those Maori War veterans who were placed in a position similar to this one. There were not many left, and it would not cost the Government a great deal to provide them with an allowance. Mr. IL G. Dickie (Patea) agreed that the Government should provide for cases like this one, many of the veterans having actually been under fire. Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said the number of surviving Maori Waiveterans would be found to be much below 200, and he wished to see some provision in the Washing-up Bill to provide relief for them. Their requests for assistance had been refused because their applications were not in by the date of expiry in 1916. The recommendation of the committee was adopted.