Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1947 MAORI AND PAKEHA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 92, 10 February 1947, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1947 MAORI AND PAKEHA

A RECENT American book published in the States gives a laudatory account of the relationship between Maori and Pakeha in this Dominion. The author was a young American Marine who had taken the opportunity to study closely our native race during his war service when he had become a close friend and admirer of the Maori. He was impressed by the “matter of fact”, unostentatious, inter-race good feeling which caused him to think of the contrasting state of affairs between white and negro in his own country. Here he found two races living in complete harmony. From that harmony and matter of fact attitude, the average New Zealander has come simply not to think at all of any problem where two races are living together. It takes a stranger to notice what we accept as normal. Our visitor in this case sought to find the reason why this happy state of affairs should prevail here. He gives the credit in main to the Maoris themselves which they are justly entitled to. At the same time we believe that some credit is due to the Europeans for their sense of fair play, justice and tolerance which enabled/ them to appreciate the Maori people. Even so, the greater credit rests with the Maoris. The respect of the pioneer settlers here was won by the native people by their dignity and the capacity for oratory they displayed, backed up by proven ability to fight with skill and courage. As the bitterness of the early war years passed there came to be appreciated the Maori character in its other phases—particularly generosity and a keen sense of humour. Still later respect was won by the Maori for his sportsmanship, dash and skill on the playing field, most notably in Rugby which became the national game in this country. Then in the most recent phase of our history, through World War 11, the Maori proved on the battlefields that he had retained in full the valour displayed by his ancestors of a century ago. The harmony of relationship is the more to be appreciated from the fact that the two races in this country do not pretend to be exactly alike. They recognise their differences and remain good friends. It is important that harmony should prevail, for the Maori population is an increasing proportion of the total. As the future unfolds the prospect is for a continuation of these happy relationships and with the Maori taking an increasingly more important part in the affairs of the Dominion. His native intelligence has great potentialities, as yet not fully realised.