MAORI MISSION WORK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 35, 4 November 1937, Page 7

MAORI MISSION WORK

* f W — • ' ' ■" Problems of Drinking Among Younger People The influence which the eariy settlers in the Dominion had upon. the Maori people was mentioned by the Bov, Georga Laurenson, of tho Methodist Mission Boaxd, in a recent address to members of the Hastings Methodist Church, The example set by some. of theee settlers, contended Mr Laurenson, liad prejudiced. the work of the church to-day. "There is xeason to be proud of what his been done among the Maoria by the- church missionaries, ' ' said Mr Lauxenson. ""When the early settlers came to the Dominion, they found,! almost without exception, that the missioriaries wero - there ■ beforu- ;them. XJnfortunately, mdfty of the things dohe by these saine early settlers have- prejudiced the work of the church to-day, "The Maori inind is such that it conld not distinguish between a Christian pakeha and a non-Chxistian. The taking of the Maori paJs duriiig the Maori wars was probably a great European victory from. & military viewpoint^ bat it dealt a great blow to missionary work' in fEis land. To-day the work of tho missionary among the Maoris is like re-establishing a garden which has become overgrown with weeds. A very real probleni which con« fronts xis is that of inter-tribal f eeling. Another is the drin'ldng among tho younger Maori people. The older, Maoris are nsking that something be done to occupy tho lei'sure of the young people,