MAORI CONFERENCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 919, 12 September 1910, Page 8

MAORI CONFERENCES.

THE KINGtTE FORCE AND ITS DANGERS. ■ (Br G. A. Young.) \ These Maori Conferences are very much like the Government Native Land Policy, all bubble and froth, blown to the winds, but they servo to amusq /he,poor people while, tlwir leaders play tho. game of Government. .taihoa. .',. This game is played with Government as-com-mission agent, land and law ' agents as bankors,' and the- Maoris . and . honest settlors as' pawns in tho game;, tho two latter being exploited to the profit of the. former. The leaders,of 'one section of. the Maori people see the Government game,,'and do their best to profit, by it, the other section remaining, like sheop in the pen, waiting to be fleeced; and, needless to add, the latter axe the' most honest of airthoso who take a hand in the game; while- the general public, not being...troubled with moral scruples '-'■ in the matter,., are concerned only, in profit--,'ing : in '; the goneral scramble. However, the occasions afford opportunities for the escape of pent-up feeling, ,' and enable■ Government to., learn.'.what'., the , Maoris are thinking about.' ' : Unfortunately, onlookers find it difficult, to understand this game, as' even • the press can be hoodwinked;' especially is' this tho' case at such' .conferences. ; when ; the whole performance has been arranged beforehand; as>was evidently the case at Waahi. ' Newspaper reporters are usually so intent upon getting at: the - kernel • of • things that they .do:not;tafce the trouble j to break through the ..husk—i.o., they have to depend' upon .interested Natives., to interpret; the: proceedings at these I meet-,' ingsj. hence they, 'are sometimes used to. convey to; the-pakeha' public a, differentimpressfpn' of what 'occurred:-than that which was. expressed' by the speakers; but one which suited the interests of the. wire-pullers..;. -..'.'.;'y\ : ;. ,; '';...; : '...;--

,■■■.'','. Mahuta's Prime Minister, /,-/, 'It has . really, becoino' difficult .to treat these Tecurrcnt"Ma6ri.meotiiigs-seriously,': and; it' is a pity the .reporter, at Waahi had; riot;- the; saving, sense of-.humour to see' in the.'"picturesque; ;asseinbly" ,ho described, an : admirable representation- .6f Sullivan's comic opera, . "The Mikado." He would have "experienced no. difficulty int casting '■ the;.' characters of,' the 'Mikado : , and hissycophants' while _ : distinguished visitors' were.( being'; received ;-on -' the marae,';and he would not • then have j taken the. gentleman; who' played/ the' part/of. Pooh '.'Bah. -so'..' as (he:, did. Students; of. ".Parliamentary ,; proceedings. (who 1 .observe ' that, whatever 1 the; Maori members may say in the. House -or elsewhere.(they 'always 'come 'to Government heel; in the ultimate division on a; Gpverh-( ment;measure)'will enjoy/the• .excellent: buffdonery /exhibited';,. in . ;Mr. ■'-'Henare K'aihau 'addressing the Ministerial /party on-'the ntorae' as he •-did.., "I am. your'.' /bitterest oppohont/you and the -.Govern-, ment and the .whole/lot v.of.- /you; over there. I.;did not-come to.the conference before • because.; the 'phase of: the '/moon was hot : suitable; -~but /'.'now,; there. : : are' better.indications. '...,.'-. ..You have our; land; you havo the banks'.; Give .us .some money. !-'lt.-.;is up'-to/you/toi talk ('with pakeh'a money .'',, This is'most ; i excellent fooling. /There iave : ,-been, too/many 'pleasant, -/passages 'between 'the'., hon; member,, for', the Western ■ Maori- District' and tho. Native- Minister :for. this', to...be; other/than the .merest,bluff to. amuse the listening crowd of Maoris,; and; to .educate the -uninitiated- ; pakeha.'., This /Native member .was ; burlesquing., the ■ ■■' little civilisation he.haS' yet;acquired, ; . and- try.-; ingvbyvhis conduct, to' give proof of .what he •; and the' leader ;of the ,Young; Maori Party, "tie, Honi; >A; 'T. ', Ngata,; 'have -asserted,/viz.,'; the Maoris,,are,'not' : yet,sufficiently-civilisedtto be placed upon the:same.electoral roll ..as' the pakeha:; But, to .resume":''; -. v*'-" =-:V;"-i ,//■./';': ':.<■.

1 The/ Kirigite ■". Forco.; /;' -■ -' Kaihaii. is,;strongly'-in 'favour of 'Ihls countrymen; disposing/p£ their lands to the (Government through him, ' for this 'gentleman'lis'-'a "-very. l clever' Maori 'indeed. These /conferences , ; are.-; very; -carefully; worked up ',- by .'.himj'/'and he/plays.upon : the ignorance :'[ and . credulity ■of his .countrymen to/an extent not /understood ■by the pakeha public;- Whether -, officially, •.appointed'',-, or-;, hot;;'it/-; suits -him : ;.'to assist, .the;; .Government '/Land' "Purchase Department. '.This, ; is ; how ■■. ho.; is ;Leh'gaged ; when' ,he ; sh6uldAbe. s atteridirig to , the//.interests;: of '..his- /constituents in; .Parliament,' ;■ Those',, interested -will, remember.. ..that;."■:this hbn. ;member'';is permitted 'to.'.absent.'"himself,7for. long. ; periods,. session .-after. session, .and now' ho' is .-'agitating .'for -an -increase;. of/;: Maori representation •proportionate with. population,-.' .which ; wo\Ud mean-anj-.incr.ea'so.'of from four to 'nine'representatives.;, All : the Maoris desire' to.be permitted,to;.dispose of ' their .lands,'by /.locally-elected -councils,':: and to settle,; -ther.p»ople .on '.'a' portion', of "..tlioir/land,"after-.the inanner of. the '.pakeha,',: but: Henare; Kaihau--in' whose hands Mahuta .is as. clay ;ln, :; thu hands: of the';, potter—desires ito /dispose' 6t thousands'of:acres to"; Government v for ready ,cash,: : the / while -■■ he; -dazzles"; .'the Kihgite, party with, the of estab-; listing Mahuta /in-/kingly .state. at : , Hopii Hopui with' ; a Parliament ;;around\him; power, to, appoint, magistrates,/'creato ' a. police'force, ..issue 'regulations/arid/laws; ,to /be.- carried.'^out-by /local v committees,i who will .have authority <to.' enforce their decrees and/inflict condign/-, punishment - on'.;offenders. ,He also [ wants .a /special issue .'of. stamps,', to bo .used' in'the. corres- • pondence of', Natives '.with-. Natives;. : a'nd also, on.; deeds ■/; relating to', .transactions' in. land, whether/for-' sale ,or lease!;;He omitted;.to'; mention; the.'creation ; o'f ,• a standing ;army,:.but;iib';'doubt~the-idea is, in his fertile brain,'/and' he-,has/already a-brassband/towards it< ./This,''and much: more,' was' seriously.. proposed,/ by; /.this sapient, legislator. He 1 , wants : total. 'aW stihen'ce./to■; prevail, among .'the Maoris, and has already !swprn r in Mahuta as V a prohibitionist./. Itris ; true this is'libt the" first ti'mo the King; has taken .tho pledge, ■ but/what: would'you?, the spirit -is .willing if the;flesh,'even of kings;:is .weak.

v.; • :A Dominant ;.,Pe'rsoh'ality,';.;-. : .:'■-''■.':■ ■ It' is interesting to observe, the influ-. enco this, member.'has acquired, over :the Waikato Maoris..',They-.luumvhiin well;, •his-faults, his failing's, but ho appeals to: 'their, customs, superstitions,, and: tradi-, tions;' and as. they are ignorant of what' is ' passing around' them in ..the ,'pakeha' Avo'rld—for they .have; no newspaper press; are 1 largely,.influenced' by ;anyone who can' appeal, to their .past-with the tongue of,'an orator. . After all, they are a .simple :people,.and very .natural. -. But, demagogues are ever .dangerous,-and itis; hard to toll what;, may happen in ;the future if, we are not just and'lirhlin the,; present. This, attempt to 'restore., the Maori' Kingship" in Stato may lie'stupid and comical,;"but it is", distinctly'/ mischievous to disturb -the Maori mind, from the only possible: solution of his worldly: future, which must be found in the ulti-'-mate fusion.of races. The keystone of. the : edifice/of hope; which, Mr. Kaihau is'trying .to erect, lies ,in! the fact that the Maoris believe; that. Government .'will; .allow them . to' elect. a Central .Council, with.Hahuta as King; these to bo' inde-. pendent of; the Maori. Land' Boards al-. ready; set'up bylaw; /He 1 is'a. staunch; supporter ■ of: Mahuta- as King,, and has gone so far as;; to 1 state that, if Government, will not-confirm' their resolution, to establish. a Central Council, tho Maoris must proceed to- deal with, their • lands themselves, "'establish <a- Native township, with the necessary, school, a. college,: in which, boys and girls wo'uld reccivoa first-class '■■ secondary' education, una [X Church. Here; too, they could retain the. best'-of their ancient institutions,,; arid perpetuate those customs that were idear to'tho race.'They-themselves would .be responsible, for .its government,, and this Native township should, form a model for ■ imitation of Natives living in other iiar.ts of the. .Dominion." ..In, fact/ Mr; Kaihau is desirous of. leaching tho Government its' duties—and there will bo.au increasing number: of Maori Kaihausin 'the near future.-.

Why Permit this Mockery? ' It seems, an unique state of thingseven in a colony so advanced as this, that thoPrimo Minister and the Minister for Native Affairs should : give countenance by their prcsenco to a meeting -at which a Maori niembor'of the House of Representatives , is reported to have publicly stated that the-objects of the conference were to establish the; Maori King again firmly in State, and to gather, his adherents around him under their ancient oommujsity system. at-Hopu Hopu, on the:

Waikato. Tho Government have, done much to hinder and • hamper the, evolution of the Maori people, so much so that we. are forcibly reminded of the causes which have led up to tho present state of unrest in Ireland, India, and Africa, which were neither more uorless than tho arrogance of a dominant race, too proud and too much immersed in their own affairs .to endeavour to understand, or try to conciliate, the races over which they'.rule. But that a Now Zealand Governmentcould reconcile such a lapse hack into, barbarism, as is here pictured by Sir.' Kailiau,, with their efforts to educate the Maori youth iji our Christian civilisation',is impossible 'to understand. Oh !■ tho mockery' of all this jobbery; and. pretence of. protection! -Would it .not be' wiser of the Government to sweep away all the inextricable and confusing mass of past. Native land legislation, and at once' place, the Maori, people in all respects upon. the.same political plane' as their white neighbours? .This is their' right by law, and their only possible path of progress towards what -our clergymen; teach them as being the Christian civilisation.-