CONDITION OF THE MAORIS.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 1 May 1901, Page 3

CONDITION OF THE MAORIS.

Mr A. T. Ngata, M.A., L.L.8., was formerly in the legal profession in Auckland. He is one of the finest typos of the educated Maori, and is very popular. Lately he has been associated with what is called the Te Ante College Students’ Assoociation. In the course of an interview at Auckland he said: “As the result of agitation on the part of the Te Ante College Students’ Association the Government are taking steps to establish three technical schools for the Maoris one in the Waikato, another in the East Coast, and a third in the Hokianga district. The Students’ Association movement is more interesting in the strenuous efforts made by its leaders to direct the attention of Maoris to industrial pursuits. These efforts have been successful, especially on the East Coast, which is a large sheep farming district, and to a certain extent in the Bay Plenty. Although not a sectarian mov ment, the Association have not left question of the reform of the Native d .urch untouched. The Association have come to see, broadly speaking, that the salvation of the race must come from education, work, and religion. In my conception of the union of the Maori tribes, the education of the children of the Maori chief in one institution, assimilating the same habits and modes of thoughts as Europeans, is a necessary factor. The direct result of this would be that these young men would be the leaders of their respective tribes in the near future and would learn to elevate principle above the mere authority of the chief. There would be representative Maoris (throughout the colony, closely connected by ties of friendship and national regard, and by their cation and training ■styv:ittfTPards the lienee among other things I have to report on the condition of the Maoris in the districts I passed through. The position of the Urcweras, who are the most backward, and the Wairarapa tribes the most advanced, is most desperate. The former, who are just coming into touch with Europeans, and therefore the least prepared to admit so-called civilising influences, are likely to be overwhelmed, when one considers how rapidly settlement is progressing throughout the North Island. It was not the fault of anyone in particular except themselves that they had held aloof, from civilisation for so long a period, until in fact it was too late for them to make adequate preparation for receiving European civilisation on a large scale. The condition of the tribes in other parts of the country is fairly satisfactory.