THE MAORI WELCOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9308, 7 August 1908, Page 1

THE MAORI WELCOME.

A STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE. REMARKS BY A MAORI MEMBER. [Fkom Ocr Gobkjsspondjjkt.J ' WELLINGTON, August 6. In the House to-night, Mr. A. T. Ngata made a statement in regard to the suggested Maori welcome to the American fleet. " Personally," he said, yi am going to Auckland as a member of this Legislature to extend a very hearty welcome to the American fleet, but as a Maori I do not think that it is proper for me to take any part in the Maori demonstration. That is the feeling of a large section of the. Maori people in regard to it. We cannot close our eyes to the fact that in America, the treatment accorded the coloured races has not been similar to the treatment given the Maoris in New Zealand. Knowing that, we cannot as a people be expected spontaneously to extend a welcome to the Americans. We Maoris had almost lost our selfrespect as a people, but recently we have begun to resent the fact that on every possible occasion .you call out the Maoris to be 1 exhibited. We want to stop that." Mr Ngata said that the Arawa chiefs had decided in April last •at they would not welcome the Americans. The matter was one for the individual Natives to decide, but personally he did not approve of the Maori demonstration.