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Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2048, 8 April 1907, Page 2

A NATIVE GATHERING. CONCLUDING DAY’S SITTING. Tho conference of the To Ante Students’ Association which opened at Awapuni on Thurcday last was concluded on Saturday. THE “PIPIAVHARAURO A.” A committee appointed at the conference in 1905 to enquire into tho working of the “T’ipi,” presented a report. The committee recognised tlie work of Mr Kolioro, who hud done a great amount of work during the past three years. A committee had been formed at Tupnroa, hut ■■ t did not seem to have done any work. It was proposed to make the paper the official organ of tho Alaori councils, but nothing had come of it. The committee proposed that tlie paper he still issued in Gisborne; that Mr Kolioro. he requested to remain in lie office of edior; that assistant editors he appointed- two at To Ran, two at To Ante, and others at other centres if possible; that Air Ngata he asked to use his influence, to have the paper recognised as the official organ of the Alaori councils; that Air Carroll ho asked to endeavor to secure a grant from the Government for tho paper; that a committee, with the Rev. F. AA 7 . Chatterton as chairman, he appointed to look after the general management of the paper; that the cover of the paper should ho made more ornamontal; and that advertisements bo solicited. The Rev. Tan tail moved that the committee tako into consideration the question of issuing the Uipi three times each month.

The Rev. Rang! said ho would like to see the paper enlarged, and suggested that questions of stock and produce markets should bo published. Air Long (Te Ran) said that efforts had been made for file past six months to get advertisements, hut they had been unsuccessful. The real difficulty in tho financial position was that a great number of the subscribers failed to pay tlieir subscriptions —out of £4OO owing for the present year and the arrears to date only £6O had come to hand. Averages had been taken out over six years and this showed that while it cost £95 to issue the paper for a. year only £36 was received. Air AA’i Fere, after paying his outstanding account for tho paper, said lie would like to see it issued weekly. Ho was against taking adveriseniouts.

Air IColiero (editor of the Uipi) said lie was very pleased with the report of the committee. A cause of tho non-success of tlie Uipi might he found in the number of other Alaori papers which existed up to a short time ago. That the Alaori people were not readers was proved by the number of papers which had sprung up and died out before the Uipi came into existence. The success of the. Uipi was not due to the enthusiasm of the Alaori people generally, but to the hard and earnest work of the people connected with the paper. Afany had complained that they did not get the paper regularly, hut managers of the paper were not to blame for this. Tlio committee appointed at Tupai.oa to manage the paper had not been a success, and the committee now in charge had great difficulty in straightening things out. For some time he had been willing to insert reports of the proceedings of tho Alaori councils, but these bodies had ignored the paper. In the matter of market reports and advertisements he personally had no time to attend to them, and lie hoped the nssistants-editors to he appointed would look after these tilings. The report of the committee was adopted. Speaking to the motion to have the paper issued three times a month, a member said that the paper at present only gave very ohl news. The Alaoris wanted quotations of market prices. ’The matter of collecting subscriptions should he left to the chiefs of the various settlements.

A member in seconding the motion approved the idea and said that the market reports (especially regarding wool) were very much wanted. The Rev. F. AA 7 . Chatterton moved as an amendment that it he recom-

mended that the paper he issuec

weekly. It would have to he left to tho committee to ascertain how often the paper could he issued. Air IColiero thought once a fortnight was quite often enough. Air Chatterton agreed to make no

recommendation in his motion as h how many issues there should he pel month—the committee would moreL be asked to consider the advisabi litv of increasing the issues. The motion was carried.

It was also decided to ask all na tive clergymen to canvass for sub scriptions to the paper, to colice same and forward them to tin editor.

'The Rev. Rangi said he would second the resolution; hut he did not like collecting Uipi subscriptions —lie had done it before. This motion was passed.

ADDRESS BY DR. DeLISLE. Dr. DoTjislo, District Health Of fleer, spoke to t-lie conference 01 sanitary matters. He said lie lvoulc speak very plainly, even at tin risk of offending sonic of then though he had no wish to do so; bid he recognised that half measure? were of no use. There were mam ways in which the Maoris shortened their lives. The Bible said, “Mi people are consumed for . want ol knowledge,” and he was there ti give some of that knowledge. Tilt Maori endeavored to be half n Maori and half a European. H< must either live as his father die or in the correct style of a European if be is to remain strong and bring up healthy children. Eresl air was one of the chief essentials tc good health. Food should be properly cooked and properly eaten. A celebrated English statesman attributed his long life to the act that he chewed every mouthful forty times before, he swallowed it. Chewing well ensured that not too much was eaten. If teeth were not used in chewing food, they were used in digging the grave of their owner. .All houses should be well lighted and should not be over-crowded. An ordinary fire-place was an excellent ventilator for a man. AVater was the natural drink of man, and nobody would do well who drank too much alcoholic liquor. The Maori race were said to bo the biggest in the world, but after the advent of the European the stature of the men began to decrease as the result cf the use of alcohol and tobacco. Maori boys should not be allowed to smoke. If a race was to be kept from dying out there must be many and healthy children. It was necessary that the mothers be healthy, and that the children should bo carefully brought up. AYhen using cow’s milk as food for children it should be stored in a placp away from all foul air and in a perfectly clean vessel. Too frequently Maoris dressed to please their vanity and not with a view to utility. A Maori might see a big overcoat in January and, buying it. wear it through February, March, and April; hut when the coat became shabby about that time he threw it away ami was seen going about iu a pair of dungaree trousers and a cotton shirt.. At the time when the first Europeans landed in the country the Maoris were a fine race and they should continue to improve with each succeeding gencraion. He was glad to notice that Mr Ngata was endeavoring to get Maoris to farm their lands, for no people could be healthy without work, and no work was more healthy than farming. The Rev. Tautail thanked Dr. DeLisle for hjs address.. He asked what

was the correct roatmont for typhoid fovor. Two doctors had given him different systems. Dr. DeLisle said care in nursing

was necessary, and milk was about the best diet. Fruit could be used but must Im carefully chosen and given. Medicine might bo given for secondary reasons, but none was given for the chief complaint. He had known many people pull through a bad attack of typhoid fever without any medicine. Mr Wi Pore thanked the doctor for his address. 'When a small bov be had seen many big men. They wore big because of their simple diet —chiefly fern-root. They wore very extensive, eaters. Miss St routs (teacher of the native school) said the children suffered from a skin disease which she had never seen on a European child. l)r. DeLisle stated that he had heard that there was a tohunga who was recommending natives to drink brandy as a cure for all diseases. In

most cases it would do harm. Mr Thornton asked what would be the result of using unlimited quantities of patent medicines.

Dr. DeLisle said it was wrong to take too much medicine and the help of a duly qualified man was needed to say when it should be taken.- —The Maoris should always be able to get milk. They had sufficient land and should keep their own cows.—lt was unhealthy to keep on the floor of a room. It was vory wholesome to live in a tent. It was not so bad to sleep on the ground in a tent as in a house.—Drinking cold water with meals was a very good idea.—Maoris who were consumptive should live in tents all the year round, but they should be thoroughly clothed.—lf tlio water supply was not too clean it would be better to givo sick people soda-water, as the carbonisation of the water killed any germs it may contain.—There was great danger of catching fevers through eating shellfish which have absorbed dirty water. -—lt often did a great deal of good to give cold drinks to people in high fever, and it could never do any harm. Ho could not supply Mr Thornton with a descriptive name for Maoris who persist in lying on the ground just after heavy rain.— Game might be loft to hang before cooking, but it should never be allowed to got rotten.—When a

person was taken ill far a way from a doctor it was always, advisable to take a dose of castor oil in the meantime. THE LAND QUESTION. The following telegram . was received from Wanganui from Mr Ngata, AI.H.R.: —“We wish conference every success. Think outlook in native land matters hopeful in certain directions wherever natives evince honest desire utilise their lands, so this Association must devote more and more energy, and system of education must be brought to confirm and assist. Leaving for Auckland to-morrow.”

EVENING SITTING. The Conference adjourned at 12. 30 p.m. until 7.30 p.m. when a number of motions which had been tabled were considered. . ASSISTING TRADESMEN.

The Rev. M. Tautau moved that the Te Ante Old Roys should rcil.Ht a sum of money in aid of those working at a trade ,until, his u;<>e reaches £1 a week; and that when he succeeds in his trade he should refund the money spent on him.

Mr. Kohere said he was in favor of the motion, but he hesitated in asking the old boys of Te Aute to subscribe the money. The money should come from outside sympathisers. Many of the Te Aute boys had become ministers, and they did not earn much. Another thing which made him hesitate to quite alfirrn the motion was the fact that very likely when the young men had been set uji they would squander thcii wages. He would suggest that all surpluses from liuis be given to this fund. He instanced a recent case where £GO was required for a house, and a hui resulted in £2OO being collected.

The motion was carried . SCHOOL ATTEN DANCE

It was moved that the committee of tlio Association be asked to devise some means for .securing the more regular attendance at school of the Alaori children on tlie East Coast. Tlio Rev. Tautau said tlio motion was very good but the school committees had full power to ensure at-

tendance. The chairman said that the con mittco of the Association could C very little.

Mr. Thornton said tho motion might be passed and lie would write to tile Secretary of Education on tho matter. Ilira Painga said that lately he had seen many children going off to work instead of school. The parents was largely to blame for this. He was a member of tho committee of the native school at Whangara, and he would like the help of the Association in the matter. The motion was carried. MAORI LEGENDS.

Mr. AVi Paraire moved that all Maori legends and sayings never previously published should be collected and published in the Pipi, and presented to the next Conference.

An amendment was moved-that all those who supplied matter should be paid.

The Chairman said it was a step in tho right direction. The amendment was lost and tin motion was carried.

TRANSFER OF A MINISTER It was moved that the Associatioi recommend that the Rev. Ahipeni Rangi be transferred from Mahia ti Gisborne.

The mover said there had been talk of transferring Mr. *Rangi to AA'airoa and he thought an endcavo; should he made to secure him for Gisborne. The Chairman said that if the. Association wrote to the Bishop on the matter the Bishop might object that it was no business of rile Association The host thing would he for tinpeople of the district, to send a petition to tho Bishop asking that the desired transference ho made. The mover said he would withdraw his motion if the Chairman (as tin Chairman of that meeting) would write asking that the transference be made.

The Chairman agreed to thi: course and the motion was carried. SCHOOLS WANTED.

The Rev. Rangi moved that the Association take steps to ensure the building of a school at Kopuawliara. The mover said the locality was a good distance from the school at Nuhaka, and the. children in the place numbered sixty. Three acres of laud had been set aside for a school site.

The Rev. Tautau was in favor of the motion. Schools could he built if there were twenty-four pupils available.

The Chairman suggested that the residents should write on the matter to the Chief Inspector of Native Schools, giving an exact list of the ehildreißof school age in the locality. The Association might back up the request of the residents. The motion was amended in the directions recommended and carried. Another motion was brought forward asking that the Association endeavor to get a school at To Rein--11. Wainolm said the locality was in his parish. The people had previously been Hauhaus but had recently come back to tho Church. The nearest school was about eight miles away. Mr. AVi Pore said tho matter had been before the Education Department and the Department did not like the site offered by the Natives.

The Chairman suggested that the full facts of the case be communicated to Mr. Thornton, so that he could write to the Department on the matter. ; NATIVE SCHOOL TEACHERS. A motion was moved by Mr. Kohoro eulogistic of the work of Native school teachers was carried

unanimously. THE LAND QUESTION. Mr. IColiere moved that this Conference gratefully appreciates the efforts now being made by means of a Royal Commission to settle the Maori land question, and it trusts that every encouragement will ho given to settle the Maoris on their own land, since upon this depends to a great extent their future pro-

gress. Carried. EDUCATING PUBLIC OPINION. The following motion moved by Mr. Thornton was carried:—“That this Conference recognising the importance of literature as a means of educating public opinion urges upon

tlio Executive the need of a wide dissemination of Maori leaflets, pamphlets and the like, to embrace all subjects within tile scope of tlio Association’s school of work. . MODEL HOUSES. The Rev. F. \V. Chattcrton

brought up the matter of model houses. At last Conference a committee had been set up to prepare lilans, but the ulans bad not yet been submitted. One of tlie members (Mr. Hamilton) had written stating that he had been too busy at tlie Exhibition to attend to the inner, but that they had not forgotten it. Air. Chattcrton moved that the committee bo re-appointed, and this was carried. ENGINEERING. When tlie tabled motions had all been dealt with a paper on engineering, written by a half-caste wlio was ill tlie Railway Department, was considered. Tlie writer said the profession was a good one for Maori boys as it kept them very much in the open air. He would like to see many boys taking up this work but lie reminded bis hearers that the profession took six years to learn. Tlio paper was of a very interesting character but could not bo read for lack of time. SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Air. Riwai Tawhiri moved that to encourage Alaori boys to follow the profession of teaching, the headmaster of To Aute be requested, when making appointments of assistant teachers, to give preference to Ala oris wishing to enter the profession.

Air. Thornton -said tlie request was reasonable and sensible. Unfortunately very few Alaori boys express-

ed a wish to become teachers and the Department was against the employment of Alaoris as teachers in Native schools; but lie would do what lie could. LIST OF TE AUTE STUDENTS.

It was decided to comjiile a list of those who had passed through Tc Aute, and to publish it in the Pipi. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Air. Chatterton said that previously they had liad tlie pleasure of having the late Archdeacon S. _ Williams as president. They could never get anybody quite so intimate, with Alaori matters. He would propose that Air. Tharuton be president for the ensuing year. He bad done much good work as Secretary, and it was time he was relieved of some of tlie drudgery of that position. Air. Thornton was elected with acclamation. He said lie had to succeed a very excellent Presiduet—one whose knowledge of the Alaori character language and aspirations was unexampled, but lie would not allow he was second even to the late Archdeacon in one tiling—liis interest in tlie Alaori race. He had been a servant of the race for the past thirty years and lie hoped lie might serve tlie race until liis death. The other officers were elected as follows: —Secretary, Air. Pine Taincliori; treasurer, Air. E. Long; committee, Afessrs. Ngata, Koliere, Nilcora, Bennett, Tomoano, Chatterton and Halbert. VOTES OF THANKS.

A motion, “That the tlianks of the Conference be given to Air. Carroll, Airs. Halbert and tlieir band of helpers for the very generous hospitality extended to the visitors,” was carried with acclamation and three cheers were given.

Mr. Thornton moved: “That the hearty thanks of this Conference he conveyed to tho Gisborne Press for its full and faithful reports of the proceedings. These reports will do much towards informing the general public as to tlio objects and work of tho Association.”—Carried with acclamation.

A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman. Miss Strouts and her children were also thanked for the demonstration of. kindergarten work given and for tho loan of the schoolroom for tho Conference.