MUCH MAORI MONEY SPENT ON LIQUOR

Chronicle (Levin), 2 October 1946, Page 5

MUCH MAORI MONEY SPENT ON LIQUOR

■Press Association

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Oct. 1. "It must be conceded that the social life of the Maori has been deteriorating over a period of years, ' ' states the newly appointed Oontroller under the Maori Gocial and Economie Advancement Act, 1945, Mr. Rangi' Royal, in a report he has prepared on the Act and its administration. Mr. Eoyal said rnany reasons had been ascribed for this fact but today the position could be described as >bad. The old days of drunken orgies when the sale of liquor was unrestricted, had returned with thesame unhappy results, undermining 'the physical well being and lowering standards of living and morality. Tliere was no doubt a great deal of the Maori income had been and was being dissipated in hotels and in the purchase of liquor for consumption off licensed premises. In -the past the consumption of liquor purcliased out of the proceeds of saies of land and' other -sources, was the order of tangis -aud large scate gatherings until public opinion "forced some official action. Today, -he- said, beer jiarties had beeome the vogue at the least pr-etext and was made Ihe exeuse for celebration. The success of a party was gauged by the atoount of liquor consumed. Liquor Was obtained per medium of pakehas and Hindus who were acclaimed jolly good fellows for per-forming the service. If this service were not available, hoine brew was supplied as the stimu-lant with the same drstressing consequenees. B-ro-vision for a gen'eral tightening up of control of liquor consumption among the Maoris, and provision -for entry, search and seizure of liquor, was made in the new Act. The local administration of the Act was the responsibility of tribal exeeu'tives and committe^sand the success of the legislation in respect of this aspect of Maori -life, lay entirely in their hands.