RACE FUSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 561, 16 July 1909, Page 6

RACE FUSION.

V THE : MAORI ;AND:THE;PAKEHA.-.' ■'■ (By Teleirraph.—Special' Oorresnondent.) ;<: ; ; '-■,-', -,-'■•' : Auckland, July, 15; The.-aim .of the YpiingMaori Party;,to bring about" the union; of. the', Maori with the European .race, was, by. -a' "Her: notice of a'number of'promirierit 'educationists, and 'wefe ; >grep^ e tha:t. the; subject-', wa-'s 'one ":of' .extreind /importance,',but they doubted ; its advisability for various rea-' sons..■' '.."!".■'•'■-,. '.■• '} : ' : ;:,... % :,;.-.' ■?.,';.,";'.'.'!',

; One of 'the gentlemen, approached waß Professor A.[ P./-W. Thomas, of the Auckland University College. "The question," ho said, "is whether-, race, fusion would be of advantage, to the' Maori race as well as to the British' race. . Are there desirable features physically, mentally, or : morally; in tho■. MairiSvhich 'would'improve the British race?/>That, T:think/-remains to bo'proved., Most people'will' agree that: the fusion would be to the advantage of/the Maori race... Itis not so clear, many people" would think, that the. fusion would be.'to the advantage of the, British race.;.; .The general, .opinion is'that■ half-castes, -though often, physically satisfactory,- are mentally-' of ten;'-'unsatisfac-tory, -~ This' does .not apply, .to :,the' Maori/race./.: Still, while:one. can entirely sy'mpathiso'with all /efforts- to 'improve the physical surroundings.bf the:Maoris,"to.edu : cite them,- and'-.to,;iniproy6. them/in .their customs, .it-is questionable, and certainly "open ,-ito*. much;- discussion; whether, this should, bo' doile "by 'fusion with--'tbe' British race. \ One'objection to jsuch_a.course is that .the Maori-'presents' so few), if any, • examples of /that tireless indomitable energy so char/ actcristic of the -European race. .The policy of ..'Taihoa'"' seems tb;'be.' inherent ,in the Maori blood,:'and it;certainly stands" to reason,' that 'the' encrgy./of,, the: British.' race . would not bo .'improved by such' infusion.; Ultimately, ' if' this were done,' New' Zealanders in the struggle for existence with other progressive races'must suffer from thisJoss of .energy, becausq. in'.the -future..that' race ■ is. going to '.survive which shows .tho. most-persistent- energy.., I regard this question' ofvtlio'.'ifusidn of■: races as •really- beyond legislative control; as fusion must .come:'as tlie.-, voluntary; act' of the,': individual... Of course,'.' tho'real salvation: of the Maori lies ,in;his -wbrkipg 'as/a". ! farfrier. ; - I quite agree that,efforts should beimadeto improve him both'from the. point of view of his mode of living,and his intellectual capacities, and,: if .bevmade to-, work in 'his ! "own interest.";/!'-'-.' ",-.'•