YOUNG MAORI PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 4

YOUNG MAORI PARTY.

LAND SETTLEMENT AND HYGIENE, ANNUAL CO.YI'HKENCE OPKXS. (By Tclccrapli,—PrcEß Association.) Auckland, April 14. ■ Tlio annual conference of (he Young Maori I'nrty began yesterday. The Hon, To ltangihiroa. .Minuter in Charge of Xutivo Affairs, presided over a fair miniher of delegates. 11l ilii! course of the presidential address.; the lion, To Kangihirou suid t.lie salvation ol l ie Maori lay in work, a tact which had bea\i impressed upon them timo and again 1,.v their European friends. Th« party recognised this fully, but thev ivnro seeking a practical scheme by which tho energies of the race, which had been lying dormant, could bo directed towards the utilisation of their own lands. While wishing to place no obstacle in the way of and settlement, they hud held tbnt'lho first consideration when placing (settlors on .Maori lands should be directed towards Maori settlers. The partv had. always urged that the State should' assist Maori farmers, both liniinciallv and by moans of instruction, and it was gratify- ' iiig to note iu the Governor's Speech that' steps were to be taken towards this end. If this were done (lie Maori would have an opportunity of showing what lie was capable of. If (lie Maori had the snmo privileges in this connection as wliilw farmers, lie could then help to shoulder Iho burden of citizenship. Speaking of the Maori Councils, the president urged the members of tlio party as they icft school and college to becomo members of uiarae committers, rising to memberfillip of tho councils and so 011 to the chairmanship, su that their inlluenco

among (heir people .should be of a practical kind. The functions of these councils were not always understood; some conKlrued them to be of the nature of a, police court, but they were really tha sanitary authority to carrv out the laws

that would promote tho "health of tho community. Though the councils had not done all that was expected, nml wora lax iu some districts, there was 110 denying Iho fact (hat the general health of lhe people had been improved. The sanitary condition of the villages had improved, and the practical effect was shown in the increase of'the Native population. Owing to tho unsatisfactory work-

ing of the scheme of subsidised medical olhcers to attend Maoris, tho Government had been working in tho direction of appointing trained nurses in various Maori districts. While nurses could

novel 1 be expected to lake the place of medical men, tho instruction in the cars of the sick and the. treatment of infants would be invaluable to the Maori. The Anglican Church had done a great work in this direction, and credit was due to the Kcv. Mr. Hawkiiis, ;t inembet of tiio parly, for his organising of thu scheme whereby European nurses with one or more .Maori girls as assistants were located in Maori districts at. the expense ot the Church. Tho superintendent,of the Maori Councils was sending a circular round to the councils, dealing with the appointment of nurses to fhe various dis. tricts, and urging the councils to further the good work they were doing. A sub-committee appointed to draw up reasons for the continuance ol the Maori Councils Act and the councils appointed thereunder brought, up their report. The committee considered that (ho Maori people had a great respect for the provisions of the Maori Councils Act of IiHID, and its amendments, and tho various councils and komitis and maras were assiduous in carrying on the work for which the.v were authorised. Tlio committee asked the conference to urg® upon tho Native Minister that the Maori Councils Act, 11100, and its amendments, be protected, in tho interests of the Maori people of New Zealand, and that ha should give support to any measures caU culated to improve and benefit tho Maori

people. A circular, to lie iss.ued ill Maori concerning medical attendance oil Natives, contains tho following, inter alia,:—"llia Department, of Pnhlic Health hns now arranged for nurses to attend to tho health .of. Maoris, anil to give tho system n fair' trial' ha* appointed six nursesNurses Ueetham and AVi Kepa to act in liawera and Stratford districts; Nurses Pin-eel and Mataiiu to act in liotoniiv district; Nurse Cormaek, in Cook County; ami Nurse lJagley to commence work from the hospital now ready at To Avoha.