MAORI LEADER PASSES.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17926, 30 June 1930, Page 5

MAORI LEADER PASSES.

SIR MAUI POMARE.

Death in California.

ILOSS TO NATIVE RACE.

TO. NEW ZEALAND. ,

( Special ; to Star. WELLINGTON, June 30. The death has has occurred in.' 6aliTfornia of Sir Maui Pomare, the memEber for the Western Maori electorate. 'Private .advice to this effect was ■: deceived in Wellington on Saturday. '...A long career of service to .New 'Zealand, and to the Maori race m ■particular,- thas ' the death

tiof Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E:, C.M.G. • Sir Maui, '•■ who - bid been seriously all-for' .a, long ' time, went' to California some months ;agO'i'or medical -treatment attd'' to avoid the rigours <of the New Zealahd winter. Prior to sgaing, away he, had been ; confined to "fcis home near Wellington for: more /■ithan a yen*. \ Member of Massey's First Ministry. Sir Mau Pomare was born :at PaHfoou, Taranaki, on January 13/ 1876, Ibeing a son of Wiremil Naera Pomare, the Ngatiawas. .. . vwaa ; at the Boys'-'High;.;School, and <at Te Atfte College, Hawke's Bay. He secured, \ his T.medioal degree, in Chicago Ijih 1,899 rand was appointed 'Government Officer to the Maoris in 1901. "Mn 1912 he entered \. the House of Rerpresentatives as member for;, the Wes---tern 'Maori District, arid the same lyear he Was included in the first Ministry formed by the late Mr. Mas-. ' v.«ey. He was- a member of the Cabinet as representative of the Maori race. "Be acted in this capacity until the of Government in 1928. Minister of" Health. \

From 1916 to 1928" Sir Maui was IMinister in charge of the Cook and .mother islands, and from 1923 to the part of 1926 he was Minister ~of Health, serving under both ..the ZMassev and Coates■ Adminstratibns, :.and he also held the portfolio of, In"ternal Affairs under Mr. Coates.' He -was a' Minister of the Crown •nfcinuously. for 16 years/' one of Jhe "longest records', of -service: iftthe his£*ojj| of the New Zealand ;Parliainent; Knighted for Service,

Knighthood conferred upon , Sir -JVlaui Pomare in June 1922 was re--cognition of the' loyalty with which -the Maoris played their part as Btf--tish citzens., during the < Great War, ir-and, secondly, an. acknowledgement. of the work done by him, first as health officer, and then as Minister, in bringing the Maoris to recognise amd observe the laws of health bir <then Dr.) Maui Pomare with the .other Maori members, or Parliament, organised the Pioneer Battalion;-which gained distinction at Galhpoh, , and -flater in France; . t . The voluntary respohse at tne .Maoris to the call for -recruits -was sdue mainly to the inspiration given • leaders. Altogether .between '-4600 and 5000 Maoris, -afad about 100 U Oook Islanders, went to the front. -The Maoris helped pother-JOT" T> v gifts of money and of land for i -the Element of returned spiders.