MAORIS AND LIQUOR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 88, 15 November 1939, Page 6

MAORIS AND LIQUOR

NUMEROUS PREACHES OF LAW

REASONS AND REMEDY Each day in Whakatane sees a number of. Maoris arraigned on charges involving liquor. Last Wednesday there were six prosecutions dealing" with offences against the liquor laws and several of the accused answered more than one count, the charges including procuring liquor whilst prohibited ; being found on licensed premises whilst prohibited; aiding and abetting in procuring liquor for Maoris ; and procuring liquor for Maoris In regard to the latter charge. It is generally known among the pakelias, that it is an offence to purchase any liquor for a Maori. Maoris are not allowed to take drink away from licensed premises and anyone buying liquor for them and handing it to them outside, or anyone giving them a drink other than in an hotel, is committing an offenec. While in an hotel, the barman, or licensee,, can control a Maori's drinking and when it is apparent that he has had all the beer that he can conveniently handle, he ,is refused further supply. It is invariably stated, in a Maori's defence, that "he is a decent chap when he doesn't have drink" and this is also invariably true. Why, then, should he be so troublesome, so rowdy and argumentative, always looking for fights, _ when he is under the influence of liquor? There are two major reasons. The Maori has been 'civilised' for only a few generations. He has not the resistance to intoxicants that is possessed by the majority of Europeans. Nor has lie been restricted by laws for centuries as have the white men. Respect for the law has been imposed on the white race for so long that the respect, in the majority of cases, almost automatically prohibits any demonstration under that amount of liquor which would set -i flrfhHurf A IVT'im-i

si Maori lighting. A iuaori. for so many hundreds of years ..known only the law of the survival of the fittest, loses that sense of balance and knowledge of his obligations to society, which contact with the white man has taught him to be so necessary in'the world of to-dav. He cannot control himself. It is admitted that there are pake has who experience the same difficulties but it takes more to make the average white man forget himself than it does .for the average Maori. The second reason for the inference that "he is a bad sort of chap when he does have drink" is because when a Maori drinks, it is

Usually in the company of the "rough, tough' section of the community, and, under the influence of the liquor, the Maori considers it the thing to imitate the tough boys in words and deeds. Thus, when lie is drunk, the Maori is reflecting the worst type of pakeha. It is logical to say that, whereas the 'rough, tough' section of civilisation is that Avay all the time, the Maori is comparable with them only when he is drunk. "He is a decent chap when he doesn't have drink." He is. Always. One of the conditions which assists in his contacting the w'orst type of pakeha, is the laxity in parental control as ayc know it. Their youth is not supervised in the fashion of the A'vhite race. The3 r have freedom of movement in their teens They mix with whom they please and the swaggering, swearing, harddrinking white man is regarded by them in the light of a hero. They strive to achieve his height. Quite frequently it is just bravado which prompts their outbursts —showing the white, man that he can be 'tough' too. With some of the younger Maoris the almost proverbial 'smell of a wine biscuit' will make them do things which in moments of sobriety would be scorned by them. If. then, lack of parental control is one of the reasons for the Maoris contacting the worst in our community. what is the remedy? Ap-< peal to Maori parents to exercise restraint over their sons?

The ideal solution to the problem would be the founding of a Youth Movement something on the lines of the Y.3M.C.A. An establishment of this nature could reaeh the youths of the Maori race and teach them that society wants more from them than brawling" and drunkenness. Would teach them, also, not only what society expects from them because that would follow and is secondary, but that they can get more out of life, make more of themselves, if they leave the liquor alone. In other words the defence "be is a decent chap when be doesn't drink" will no longer be necessary because he will not drink and, as said before, he will be decent. Aiwa vs.