MAORI MEMBER ATTACKS REFORM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18805, 6 July 1929, Page 1

MAORI MEMBER ATTACKS REFORM.

[MR MAKITANARA DRAWS 1 FIRE OF OPPOSITION. l (Special to the "Star.") WELLINGTON, July 6. One of the most interesting features of the Address-in-Reply debate in the iHouse yesterday was the speech of the member for Southern Maori (Mr Maki--Itanara),who made many pointed refer‘ences to the Reform Administration, and criticised the manner in which Mr Coates had dealt with Maori lands. Hisl speech was interrupted by many inter-l jections from the Reform benches. l ‘ “I am one of the cogs in the big‘ ‘machine known as the United Party.” ‘said Mr Makitanara. “ It might be newc ‘to the honourable gentlemen on the iother side of the House that we, have isprung from nowhere. ‘ l Reform members: Hear. hear. Quite ‘right. i l Mr Samuel: You will go back to the‘ *same place. (Laughter.) l ‘ Mr Makitanara: We sprang, as it: Iwere, from the wishes of the people of. ‘this country. (Hear, hear.) l l Mr Nash: Look out you don't spring‘ back. i Mr Makitanara: Well, all the newspapers with the exception of a few were against us. We prevailed on the thirteenth and fourteenth of November. The people gave an emphatic and logical decision, and returned the United Party. . Mr \V. Jones: Not a bit of it! 1 Mr Nash: You had a narrow escape. l Mr Makitanara: The people put the? Reform Party in the balance. and‘ found them wanting. ‘ A Reform member: How are you on the bare majority? (Laughter) Ruin of Party. “ There were three factors that led‘ to the ruin of the Reform Party.” said Mr Makitanara, “and the first was Sir Joseph Ward." (Hear. hear.) The second was the United Party’s policy. Mr Samuel: \Vhatl The £70,000,000? Mr Makitanara: Oh, we’ll give you £70,000,000 all right. We offered the people closer land settlement and completion of the railways. Mr Nash: Do you agree with that? Mr Makitanara: \Vell, the people did, anyway. That accounts for your minority. The speaker went on to say that one of the greatest difficulties of the count try was the high price of land, which had been inflated by the Reform Party. Thirteen thousand peoole had left the land. A member: \Vhere have they gone to? Mr Nash: Up the spout. (Laughter.) Mr Makitanara: They didn't go ofii the land. They were kicked off. (Loud‘ laughter.) ‘ Mr Nash: Where did they go to? 1 Mr Samuel: To the races. (Laugh-1 ter.) 1 Mr Makitanara: We had to come to the rescue of the people of New Zea land. The Minister of Finance came to the rescue. and secured over one and a half million for the people of New Zea land. Mr Nash: That’s No. 1 point, any» how. Mr Makitanara: Yes, and a jolly good one, too. (Laughter) There were too many people in the towns. Mr Nash: Unemployed? Mr Makitanara: Yes: you know it. The speaker went on to congratulate the Minister of Education on the policy which he had laid down during the past few months. The education system was costing the country £1,000,000. Mr Nash: Are you sure of that figure? Mr Makitanara: Yes; and it doesn‘t say much for the ability of the honour—.ablc member if he is not sure of it. The ‘trouble is. we are turning out either lawyers or teachers, and all the young people are taking positions in the towns. They all want to wear white shirts. and stiff ones at that. (Laughter) i The speaker went on to deal withl ‘immigration. He said that he was noti lopposed to immigration, but he was op-i lposed to bringing people into the coun-j ltry when there was little chance of find 1 .ing employment for them. ‘ Native Lands. i Touching on qucsiiuus affecting; 'vin l Maori rare. the speaker said that (Iv. ‘ Reform Government had not kept 3.»,1 the terms of the Treaty of \\'aitungi,i and the Natives had been anything but fairly treated in the matter of sales of land. The Natives had been prevented from selling land at their own prices. The Hon R. A. \Vrighi: Quite right, too! Mr ‘Malgitanara: Is that your idea of British fair play? Mr Speaker: Order, order! Mr Makitanara concluded his speech by referring to various land purchases which had taken place, alleging that the Maoris had been deprived nf mic-l" quote prices for their land. 1, ...__.—__._— l