EXPENDITURE DEFENDED

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1934, Page 9

EXPENDITURE DEFENDED

IMPORTANCE OF WAITANGI. MR. FORBES REPLIES TO CRITICS. LASTING BENEFIT TO BOTH RACES, CLEARING AWAY MAORI DOUBTS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. “I am convinced that the expenditure incurred was thoroughly well justified and that the outcome of the gathering will be a lasting benefit to both races and the country generally,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, when criticism concerning money spent on the celebrations at Waitangi this week was brought under his notice. “I doubt if a gathering of such importance has ever taken place in New Zealand as it has served to focus attention on something that we have been neglecting, or at least overlooking.” Mr. Forbes said he could not believe anyone who was at the celebrations and saw the friendliness and spirit that they evoked could hold any other opinion. He doubted whether the money could have been spent to better purpose. Relations between the two peoples had always been good, Mr. Forbes said, but he felt the ceremonies had cleared up any feelings that might have been in the minds of the Maori people that the Europeans were not desirous of carrying out their part of the Treaty of Waitangi. “The gathering at Waitangi provided Mr. Coates and myself with an opportunity of addressing all the Maori tribes in New Zealand,” Mr. Forbes said. “We were able to disabuse their minds of any feeling that we would not carry out our policy of assisting them* in the development of their lands or any idea that there would be any confiscation for their lands. To my mind it was a very fine thing that we were able.to bring them together in such circumstances.” Mr. Forbes said the bulk of the expenditure went in the employment of relief labour and in transport costs, most of which went in the carriage of Maori tribes on the Government railways.