A NATIVE GATHERING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2047, 6 April 1907, Page 2

A NATIVE GATHERING.

GISBORNE BRANCH. Tho annual report of tho Gislioriio branch statos that tlie branch lias every reason to congratulate itself on tho work of the past year. Although there were only four meetings tlioy wore full of earnestness, enthusiasm, and instruction. The employment of Alaori girls in ilomostic service, tho revision of the Constitution, and matters relating to “Tho Pipi” and other matters of local interest were discussed. Many arguments had been brought against the proposal to employ Maori girls in domestic service; but it was hoped that the matter would be thoroughly discussed by the conference and approved. Thanks wore duo to Old Boys outside the College whoso presence at tho meetings of tho Brunch had tended to make them more interesting and representative.

DECLINE OF THE FAITH. A paper under the heading “The Decline of tho Faith” was read by tho Rev. Nikoro Tautau. Tho greatest liindranco at present was toliungaism, and especially that form known as We rota. Drunkenness was another groat hindrance, as also was tho bad example set by Europeans in the matter of Sabbath desecration. He left the question of remedial steps to be discussed by tho conference.

In explanation tho writer of the paper said the Alaoris desecrated the Sabbath on the example of Europeans. These Europeans were not of the best class, blit the Maoris did not take that into account.

It was contended by one speaker that the decline was due to the inability of the Alaori ministers to deal with the difficulties. They should approach those who fell away from grace hut they failed to do so. It was also tohungaism that was responsible to a largo degree. Another speaker agreed that the clergy were hardly hearty enough in tlioir work; but the Bible enjoined work not only on the clergy but on everybody. 11l olden times the sheep followed the shepherd, but now the shepherd was behind and the faster ho went the faster the shoep ran away from him. Some of the clergymen, it was contended were too old, and some again were too young—tho young one’s did not thoroughly understand the views of tho older people. Air Wi Pere said the desire for money was a potent cause of falling away among the young people. He disagreed with those who blamed the clergy—tlie people themselves were mostly to blame. The Chairman said that what they really should consider was means for remedying the present position of affairs.

It was suggested that clergymen should be appointed without parishes who should each travel through a diocese. The people got tired of a local preacher. It was stated that the matter had been brought up in General Synod, but nothing liad been done. The Chairman, in closing the discussion, said tlie Synod had agreee' to allow clergymen to change parishes, and it now only remained for the clergymen to change about. This might prove to he a remedy, as also would the proposed travelling missionaries wlio, it was to be hoped, would yet be appointed. He also thought that if there wore more prayer tho difficulties might cease. CHURCH PROBLEAIS.

Mr Hawkins, an old Te Aute boy, now laboring among the Maoris in Auckland, contributed a paper on tile problems of the Maori church. 1-le said there were two kinds of problems—those which were now in operation but would pass away in time and those which would unfold themselves in the future. Under the first head was Te Wliiti-ism which would pass away when Te Whiti died. Mormonism had also spread greatly and was caused by the laziness of the clergy in not visiting their people and also by quarrels between the clergy and their people. Under the second head there was the amalgamation of the pakelia and Maori races —the Maoris were daily becoming more like Europeans. In the course of two generations Maori clergymen would be preaching to Europeans and Europeans to Maoris. In Canterbury . there were no separate Maori clergy—the Maoris attended tho church conducted by the European ministers and the Maori ministers did tho same work as Europeans. In tho future the question of getting Maori women to be a force in religion would have to be faced. The women should not only be brought to work on behalf of the church, but should be educated in the direction of bringing up their children better. More supervision of the Maori clergy was necessary. They attondod a college for a short time ,and wore not given any fresh inspiration during their term of office. The lay-readors should, also be called together at least ‘ once a year and instructed in their work for a week. In the Maori work there was too much preaching and too little teaching. In Auckland the afternoon service was devoted to answering questions by the congregation. Inter alia Mr Hawkins gave a word of praise to he teachers in the native schools for their self-deny-ing work and the excellent results of those labors. Mr Hawkins was of opinion that there should be a large central fund for the payment of the clergy—all the money collected in the various districts should be put into the fund.

The Rot. Tautau said tlio quarrels mentioned by Mr Hawkins weye quite correct. In Auckland the clergymen were shifted if they did not get on and it was found to act well.

The Rev. I l ’. W. Chatterton said that missions to Maori congregations were one of the best things to revive the interest in the church. One means must not be depended on when they were' doing a great work. More attention must he given to the children. He had heen in many Maori churches and found that nothing was done to improve the spiritual position of the children, Te Kill! was an exception, and if all the Maori churches had as good a teacher as Tc Kuri, tilings would be very different to-day. When they rocodifferent to-day. When they recognised that in most places the Maori the first seven years of their life, they could not be surprised when, in after years, they chose to follow their own course and neglect the church. Since t-hc Resurrection women had taken a leading place in church work, hi,it Maori wojjien had not yet taken their place, it was for all Maori clergymen to devise means for bringing the women into the church work. At Te Arai Mrs Halbert had taken her proper plage, and her example should be followed elsewhere. The last point he would emphasise was that Maori clergymen should lie supplied with theological libraries so that they might he always able to put something new before their congregations. He hoped in the future that ways and means would be devised for tlic supply of these libraries. If the clergy would give him the names of hooks they wanted he would endeavour to supply them. The Chairman said that one theological work had already been translated into Maori ’and another was in the press. He was greatly in favor of native clergy being supplied with -libraries .

LOANS W FARMERS. 11. Pacrata move'd* that' the conference devise some mean? whereby

natives wishing to farih their land might receive financial aid. Tho mover said most Maoris woro now turning their to farming, but they could not succeed without money. Mr Thornton said that some years ago tho matter had bon brought up by Mr Ngata at one of the Association’s conference. The matter was brought under the notice of the late Mr Seddon who promised that something would bo done. The difficulty was to get security—the Maori land was owned by so many persons that if offered no real security. He would advise that the motion be withdrawn and that one be substituted asking Mr Ngata to bring the matter before the. Government. The only way to get what they wanted was to askover and over again.

The Chairman said that there was a law on the Statute Book allowing money to he advanced to Maoris if the lands were individualised. The Rev. Tautau said that money was necessary boloro the lands could he individualised.

Tl.o mover said he had not meant that the Government should he asked for money, hut he meant that the system of advancing money instituted by the late Archdeacon Williams should he continued.

NATIVE SCHOOL TEACHERS. Mr Ivoliere tabled the following motion: “That tin's conference gratefully recognises tile self-denying work done by so many native schoolteachers who ungrudgingly place their services at tho disposal of the Maori people in various ways in addition to their school duties and do much to improve the social and spiritual welfare of the people.”

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. Tho first hour of yesterday’s sitting was devoted to observing the working of the kindergarten school. Tho children went through a lot of drill in good style, and general satisfaction was expressed with the work done DAIRYING. A paper on dairying was contributed by Ihaka Whaanga, Ntiliakn. He said that in 1902 a creamery was suggested by the Europeans. Tiie Government promised to put up the creamery if a guarantee of 300 cows were given. A meeting of setlers was held at More re, and a total guarantee was given between Maoris and Europeans of 400 cows. It was made a condition that if the creamery had to close down the cows guaranteed should be sold to pay expenses. A company was formed with 2500 £1 shares. Maoris took up 15 of the shares, the rest being taken by Europeans.' The factory started work on September 7th, 1902. He (the writer) had 12 cows and the other Maori with shares had 9. Five shillings per month was paid on the shares. In 1905 a number of Maoris joined tlie factory. At that time fourteen Maoris were suppliers, and they bad a large number of shares. The speaker said that lie now owned 52 shares. He bad taken shares in lieu of cash for milk supplied. Tlie Maoris now owned 384 cows in' numbers from 1G to 53. There were now only two Europeans supplying the factory, but they owned a good number of cows. Tlie Europeans had stopped supplying because of the lack of good roads.

In answer to Mr Thornton tlie speaker said the Maoris certainly liked tlie work. An evidence of their permanence in the business was tlie fact that they bad not rushed into it, but bad taken three years to get into it. The natives had not been able to make a success of sheepfarming, but they found dairying paid very well. The owner of 29 cows made £1 per month per cow—that was the highest record. The speaker milked from 30 to 40 cows, and his monthly cheque was between £2/ and £36. The cows were inspected by tlie Government Inspector, the only fault found being that the cows did not calve very well. The ' dairies were inspected by tlie Inspector who, on the whole, was very satisfied, but lie always kept on telling the natives to keep everything clean. The factory was run by a company, but the company was connected in some way with the Government. In tlie case of- the speaker the cows were owned by himself. Other natives were given cows by a resident. This resident retained the title to tho cows and got all calves. Tho Maoris got all the profit from the milk. It was found that this was not quite satisfactory as if the calves died or were killed the Maoris had to pay £1 to the owner. At present the cows were gradually being bought by tho Maoris out of tlie profits on tlie milk. Only one of the natives had given up supplying, and circumstances were against him continuing—-lie was not tired of the business. Tho owner of the cows took only part of the. milk cheques, and he hoped to be paid for all liis cows in three years. The Maoris without families bad to hire labor, but those with families did their own milking. Last year ho (the speaker) got £3OO for tlie milk from 52 cows. Ho thought the natives would stick to the industry so long as it paid. The Native Lands Commission had gone into tlie question, and had promised to put the land on a good footing. Tlie Maoris had further revenue from calves and pigs kept. On the average a milk supplier put in about four hours a day in milking and the rest of tlie day could be devoted to making money in other ways. His (tlie speaker’s) milking was done by two of liis son and three grandsons.

In conjunction with this paper a motion was taken asking that the Secretary’ of the Association write to representative natives who had taken up dairying and slieep-farm-ing and ask them to state what difficulties they had had to overcome. — The motion was carried.

' THRIFT. Mr AVi Friday delivered a paper on “Thrift.” There were indications in many directions, lie said, that the Maoris were waking up to the importance and dignity of laboi if they were to make any social progress; hut in addition to industry thrift was also very’ necessary. An understanding of tile proper value of money was one of the things most needed by the Maoris at tlio present day. In the old days the Maoris had exercised thrift by building pas and storing therein large quantities of food to withstand long sieges; hut since"the advent of the European those habits had heen lost. The habit of thriftlessness had been encouraged by tlio ease with which things could be bought—a Maori would value a taialia because of the large amount of labor expended in making it and its practical irreplaccabloness, hut he would allow a valuto rust away, because he knew it could easily be replaced by purchase. The fact was that the meaning of money and its value were neither of them understood by the Maori. One of the great bars lo the practice of thrift among Maoris was the communistic system. Too frequently the worker for wages shares the common life of the kuinga, to which lie may contribute nothing, and uses his own wages on selfish luxuries. The paper conclude;! wiih a few words of advice as to thrifty habits which should be cultivated, The conference then adjourned till 2.30.

At the afternoon sitting several speakers agreed with the arguments in Paraeta’s paper, and one asked that some suggestion as to a remedy' should be put forth at that sitting.

Thriftlessnoss was a characteristic of the race. Another speaker said that causes for thriftlessness wero laziness, temptations in town for Maori youths and the communistic system. If the sale of liquor were stopped, it was suggested, thrift could be cultivated. Much might be done in future if the children wore brought up in habits of thrift. Mr. Kohere said perhaps the tliriftlossness of the Maori was accounted for by his repugnance to being considered mean. Mr. Thornton said that people had told him that when boys left Te Aute some of them did not “go straight. He always asked such people if all European boys who had the advantage of good education and training always went straight. Of course many of tho European boys went astray. Some Maoris foolishly wasted money on luxuries and wickedly on drink and gambling. Hut it had to he remembered that Maoris were not singular in that respeet-they were not the only black sheep in the flock. The Chairman had suggested that Maoris should pay into tho Post Office Savings Bank. He urged all members present to open accounts for themselves, and also for their children. This would train their children towards thrift, and they would gradually come to he proud of their savings. He would move that it be recorded on the minutes that the Conference lamented the lack of thrift in the race, and urged its members to inculcate tho habit both by precept and example by opening accounts in the Post Office Savings Bank; and that a Maori leaflet on the subject might profitably bo printed and circulated.—The motion was carried. DUTY. The Rev. F. W. Chattcrton contributed a paper under the heading “Duty as a characteristic of the Maori race.” There wero, he said, three things within a man making him do right—fear, duty, and love. In tho old days fear made tho Maoris work hard in making their pas fear made them industrious. Fear bad | prompted Jonah to speak to the people of Ninevah, and fear made the people repent. It was probably fear which made Maoris in the old days become Christians. Love was another very strong incentive to labor. Tho other motive power (duty) he wished especially to talk of because it was weak in the M<l ori character. A man who had a strong sense of duty was a true rangatira, but many a rangatira had no sense of duty. In some of the older Maoris the senso of duty was very strong, but in some of the younger ones it was extremely weak. It was necessary to ths building of a strong race that the individuals of it should have a good sense of duty. The only way to improve the sense of duty was to inculcate the principles in childhood. DOMESTIC SERVICE. In conjunction with the previous paper, one by Mr. Kohere on the question of placing Maori girls in domestic service was taken. The question of the employment of Maori boys had previously been fully discussed, and now there was hardly an opening which a Maori had not entered. The question of the employment of girls had also been discussed to a certain extent. The necessity'for the training of girls had also been discussed to a certain extent. The necessity for the training of girls as nurses had been thoroughly recognised. Maori girls had also become dressmakers and even clerks; but the question of employing them in domestic service had not yet been treated by the Association. He had the subject very much at heart because he thought it was an extremely important one. The question should be looked at from a national standpoint, and not a personal one—they should think of how it would affect the race and not how it would affect individuals. To make a strong race the tribes of the race must be strong; to have a strong tribe the liapus must be strong; to make strong hapus the families must be strong; and strong families depended to the greatest degree on the strength of tho home life. Home life depended greatly on the mother. Even Buonaparte had recognised that “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” The question to be considered was as to how Maori girls could bo trained to become good mothers. It was not proposed that Maori girls should enter no other sphere of work but domestic service—their entering it was only to ensure that when they wore married they would bo able jo look after their own homes. . Tliey could not learn domestic economy in their own homes, and the only place where a. good grounding in the subjecr could bo received was in domestic service in the homes of Euro- I pcans. Here Mr. Kohere advanced nine reasons why tho-proposed scheme was necessary, one reason advanced being that in her mistress the Maori girl would find ail adviser and perhaps, a mother. Many of tho Maori people objected to girls being sent ot as domestic servants, and said it was derogatory foi them to do so; but any person who worked for wages was in a similar position. From a Christian point of view there was no service too menial to bo despised. For the sake of future generations he hoped that Maori girls would be given efficient domestic training, and they could only get that in the homes of European families..

Mr. Hone Paerata thought that Maori girls received quite enough training in domestic economy at Hukarere school.

Mr. AA’i Pore quite agreed with the main lines of the paper, but there had been many girls educated who bad been very little better afterwards. If girls were sent to service they should go to people who understood how to keep servants.

The Chairman said that if the Maori parents would agree to the idea there would be good work for the girls. There, was a great scarcity of girls in ull parts of the colony, and some mistresses in Gisborne had been vainly advertising for girls lor months. Mr. T. Halbert was in favor of the scheme. As the Maoris were gradually' getting more European in tlicir habits it was fitting that their women should learn to keep house in the European style. If the parents disagreed with their children being servants it was for tlio Conference to devise means for getting training homes started in various parts of the colony where girls could learn domestic economv.

The Rev. Ahipene Rangi said that his own children were trained in domestic economy by his wile, and they learnt all they' needed to know. The object of the paper could be attained if all parents trained their own children.

The Rev. Nikola Tautau approved of tlie scheme, and gave it as his opinion that the Maori girls had no cause to he ashamed of being called

servaptj. Mr. AA’i Pore thought the Association should take in hand the work of placing Maori girls in employment of all kinds. Mr. IVi Pyrame said that the matter had been discussed at a meeting of the Gisborne branch of the Association, when the Rev. F. Bennett objected, stating that it was disgracing to the race to be servants. Mr. Bennett thought it wrong that girls capable of taking responsible positions should be degraded by being sent to service; but it was" urged op him that this system was only to affect those girls who could never oxpoct to occupy high positions.

The Rev. F. AV. Chatterton read a leter from Auckland on the subject. In Auckland, he said, Maori

girls had been in service for a long time with success. The writer o the letter (Rev. Gittos) said that a goodly number of girls were m service. Most of them belonged rangatira families, and worked as much as anyone to improve themselves. So good had been thc conduct of the girls, that were there twice as many looking for positions they could all be accommodated. They worked under a rough code of. rules, and were under the personal supervision of a lady church worker The following motion was carried without a dissentient: “That this Conference, believing that the future welfare of the Maori race is largely dependent on. the work of the_ w°mon in the management of the home and the training of their children, would strongly advocate Maori girls seeking employment in good pakeha homes as domestic servants, where they may most effectively be fitted to benefit both themselves and their The Conference then adjourned till 7.30 p.m.

THE CONSTITUTION,

On resuming in the evening the question of revising the constitution of the Association was conMr. Thornton explained that the Association had been in existence for ten years. It had been horn at Te Ante and had taken its name therefrom. Now it was wished to change the name of the Association (Te Aute Students’ Association) so that people not belonging to Te Aute might become members. The original object of the Association was to bind together past and present students at Te Aute. Another object was to generally uplift the Maori race. The latter object was in reality the chief one. At the last conference a committee was set up to consider the change of name and other matters, and had since presented a report. They could find no name for the Association, and those present would have to do so. The Gisborne branch suggested the following names:—“Maori Reform Party,” “The Young Maori Party,” and “The Te Aute Maori Party.” The committee appointed at last Conference proposed “The Te Aute Association.” The Rev. Nikoro Tautau proposed that the name be “The Association of the Maori People.” Mr. Thornton pointed out that this name was rather too far-reach-ing. Wi Parata moved that the name should be that chosen by the committee appointed last year-—“Te Aute Association.

Mr. lioliere' seconded. the motion. His reasons for doing so were that the committee’s recommendation was the result of long consideration. The name selected by the committee chosen by the last Conference should be adopted unless there was some ■eery good reason against it. The name “Te Aute” should be kept. Having the name did not keep out other natives who had not attended Te Aute. If the choice of a name was left to everybody nobody would choose one.

Mr. Wi Parata fully agreed to the Association being called “Te Aute Association;” but if the society could attain its objects the name did not matter much. The Government always promised to grant money to enable Maoris to work their land but always failed to do so —they wanted the Maori lands to lie idle and be bought by Europeans. The Chairman said the object of changing the name was to enable all Maoris who had the welfare of the race at heart to become members.

The Rev. Ahipene Rangi proposed that the name be, “The Association of the Maori People of Te Aute.” The Chairman proposed “The Te Aute Association for the Elevation, of the Maori People.”- - ’ The Rev. Tautau’s motion was withdrawn. Mr. J. Halbert was in favor of “Te Aute Association.” The old name included only students, but the proposed name allowed everybody to be members. The Rev. F. W. Chatterton said that after long consideration he had come to the conclusion that “Te Aute Association” was the best. Thu Association was really only a committee. Further there was no intention to sever the connection with the .birthplace of the society. Perhaps the strongest reason for the adoption of the proposed name was that taking “Te Ante” out of the name might seem disrespectful to the memory of one who liad done more than any other individual for the Maori race.

On being put to the meeting the name “Te Aute. Association” was approved.

The committee’s proposal that the membership fee in future be 2s 6d per year, was agreed'to. It was decided that the headquarters be at le Aute. Other proposals made were: That the general committee (consisting of the President, Secretary and the Treasurer and seven members of the Association) be the Executive of the Association; and that a branch of the Association may be formed in any place where there are enough persons in sympathy with the Association's objects. A number of minor amendment® were also proposed. The proposa are to be printed and circulated among members .

Co,lfere ‘ lce t,len adjourned till 9.30 o’clock the next morning.