The Globe. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1441, 28 September 1878, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

The solicitude for the weitsavi of the Native race evinced on all occasion*, by the present Premier is well known, but wo doubt if the public are aware exactly to what lengths this prepossession has carried the Government. W-* shall endeavour to show shortly how apparently the Government consider the interests ge the Maori superior to those ot the white colonists of islands. Some short time ago wo published & telegram from Westland conveying the intelligence that the school committees there in a state of insolvency, and that it wao probable the work of education in the district would be seriously impeded, if not altogether stopped. Owing to the action of the Government, iJio school committees found it necessary to nyluce the salaries of their teachers, and the >eonsot]uouce was that the best men gave notice of their intention te leave the service, i-ot us now for one monzent

contrast tho different treatment wliicli the Maori pots of tho Premier are to receive at tho hands of the Government. In Mr. Sheehan’s Native statement wo find tho following passage : —“ They proposed to spend £l-1,000 this year on Native schools, hy raising tho salaries of teachers, so as to get a hotter quality. It was also proposed to extend tho system of hoarding schools for Native children, because when a Maori hoy loft school and wont hack to his tribe, what was there before him hut to take up and follow the ways of tho tribe.” It would thus appear that in dealing with the two races a distinctly opposite course is proposed to be followed by the Government. In the case of tho European teachers, as represented by those in Westland, tho salaries were to be reduced, and as a natural result tho best men forced to resign. Not so, however, as regards the Maoris. Tho Government proposes to spend £14,000 on native schools, with the very opposite object of obtaining better teachers by paying higher salaries. For tho European schools low salaries and inferior masters, for tho Maori higher salaries and increased efficiency. Such is the Government programme. Now wo have not tho smallest objection to increasing the efficiency of the Maori schools. If it is necessary, the money will bo grudged by no one. But what wo complain of—and wo think with justice—is that while the Government propose to increase the efficiency of tho Maori schools by paying higher salaries, they are cutting down those in some European ones, so as to seriously impair their efficiency. Let all bo served alike. Tho Maori, as well as tho European, has a perfect right to claim tho aid of the State in educating his children, but he is only entitled to equal privileges with the Europeans. Tho Government have no right to single out the Maori schools for special favouritism, at the very moment, too, when they are using tho pruning knife with regard to the cost of the European schools. But whilst this is bad enough, the Ministry go a stop further in their chivalrous and disinterested protection of tho noble savage. They give to Maoris very extended powers of voting, a move which is of course politic, so far as they are concerned, but may develop into a power which will operate very disastrously in tho future. Under tho proposed law tho Maori representation will not only be increased, but they will have a very largely increased franchise. In addition to the vote conferred by paying rates, tho Maoris will also bo entitled to vote for property held in common —that is to say that, where there is a tribal right to property which has passed through tho Native Lands Court, all the holders in common will bo entitled to a vote in respect to this property. Now the effect of this is not perhaps apparent at tho first glance. But it really means that tho Native Minister of the day, or a politician having influence with tho Maoris, will bo enabled to sway, to a largo extent, the elections for some of tho North Island constituencies. In fact the Maori vote will become, under such circumstances, on a small scale, similar to tho Celtic and German vote in America, which is notoriously purchasable by capitalists. Wo do not know whether the public consider such a state of things desirable. We should say decidedly not. It seems, however*, to judge from the apathy displayed by tho people in such important matters as these, that they believe that tho Government, like the King, can do no wrong. They appear content to trust them blindly and without any question, so long as the glittering baits thrown out by tho Premier during his stumping tour are now and then displayed before them. Wo have shown that the Government make invidious distinctions between the two races in the matter of education, and that it is probable the subjection of the Maori vote either to tho Native Minister or powerful capitalists, will be most detrimental to tho political interests of the colony. This sliould certainly be sufficient to make tho public bestir themselves, and exercise a little wholesome restraint and chock upon the Government ere it is too late.