THE FUTURE OF THE MAORI.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 7, 23 January 1937, Page 4

THE FUTURE OF THE MAORI.

Among matters that are, or at any rate should be, of special interest tp us here in New Zealand, the Science Congress which this week closed its sittings at Auckland devoted a good deal of ti'me and attention to discussing the future of the*Maori element among our population. As to the numher of those of Maori blood among us the Year Book just issued affords information derived from the census taken last March. There, inelusive of all half-castes, it is put down at 82,326, or something substantiaily more than 5 per cent. of the whole population of New Zealand proper, Of these there are resident in the North Island 79,097, or very nearly 8 per cent. of the aggregate population. Of these, again, the great bulk (59,215) are to be foundin the Auckland provincial district, mainly in the northern peninsula and in Poverty Bay. Here in Hawke's Bay we haye 6,633, while in Taranaki there are 4,280 and in Wellington 8,969. From these figures it will be seen that on the score of numbers alone, if of nothing else,the Maoris are entitled to special consideration, particularly from North Island Europeans. The Government Statistician tells us that there has undpuhtedly been a considerahle diminution in the native population of these islands since the advent of the white man, but that this decline has been greatly exaggerated by early writers. However this may be, it is reassuring to find that in the ten years interval since the last previous census there has been an increase of close on 19,000, a fair evidence that, given favourahle conditions, the race is in no way likely to die out, but rather to go on multiplying. This, of course, merely goes to emphasise the responsibility that rests upon their pakeha friends to see that the Maoris get fair play and are given every possible chance to develop along lines suitablo to their own peculiar temperaments and procliyities. This responsibility must be all the more recognisable when we bear in mind that the Ewropean has for so many b?ng years been disposed simply to force his own ideas pf Cjvilisation upon the Maori without any due regard for his inclination or capaeity, in the mass, to aqcept and adapt himself and his way of living to it. It is only within the last ten or fifteen years that our Governments have given much thought to the Maori race in snch a way as to lend any effective assistance tow'ards establishing itself as a contented, useful and productive section of the general community. During that time a good deal has been donp, but perhaps in a sOmewhat fitful way, there being so many other problems for solution. It may be broadly said, however, that the Maoris themselves have responded fairly well to such oportunities as have been afforded them of dping something to promote their own welfare, both individually and in a community sense. It may reasonably be expected that, as the advantages to be gained begin to be more fiilly realised among them, this response will become still more active. There is thus every encouragement for our present Government to earry on the good work that has been begun, and it is some salve to awakening consciences to note that the claims of our Maori friends are not being overlooked, the Prime Minister himself displaying a special interest in them. The prohlem, however, is not one that is to be solved by uninstrueted good will and lavish expenditure alone. The success of any gchemes that may be eontinued or introduced will depend very largely upon the competence of those whom a Government, no member of which has any intimate knowledge on the subject, may cadl in to its counsels. Among the Maori sthemselves there are not a few with a talent for organisation and much might he expected from their influenee among their fellows were their aid invited and enlisted, Experience has, however, shown that a close supervision will have to be maintained on questions of finance, a consideration that -is, as yet at any rate, quite foreign to the Maori mind.