DRINK AMONG MAORIS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 71, 16 December 1937, Page 10

DRINK AMONG MAORIS

Grave Concern Felt 40-HOUR WEEK EVIL The increased facilities provided by" the 40-hour week for the consumption of liquor in the towns are,/ mere than any other reason, believed to have brought about a greater amount of intemperance among the Maori race than ever before. , The matter has become one of deep concern to those' interested in the Maori and, indeed, to the more clearthinking Maoris themselves. The Bishop of Aotearoa, the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, when he spoke at Wanganui recently, deplored the ultimate effeet drink would have on the rising Maori generation, and said most emphatically that what had become a common habit in the Dominion must be eradicated at all costs. I The United Maori Welfare League, which has its headquarters at Wanganui, has in its possession a petition pjpsented to the House of Representatives on August 18, 1874, by Haimona Te Ao te Rangi and 167 other Maoris of the Wanganui district. It is evident that even in those days the leaders of the race were greatly concerned about the drinking habits among their people. Dated Wanganui, June 15, 1874, the petition asked that some law be enacted "eoncerning this evil thing, grog, which is destroying us, so that a stop may be put to drinking among the Maoris, for that is the root of the evils under which we are suffering. "It impoverishes us; our children are not born healthy because the parents drink to excess; it muddles men's brains, and they in ignorance sign important documents and get into trouble thereby; grog also turns the intelligent men of the Maori race into fools. Again, it is the cause of ' various diseases which affliet us. We afe also liable to accidents, such as falling off our horses. It also leads our men to disrespect women, and is the cause of fighting. In fact there are innumerable evils brought Upon the Maori by intemperance. "We therefore ask for a very stringent law to be passed to protect the Maori from this evil. Let only medical men have authority to allow the people to take liquor medicinally, if they tliink it will lead to the recovery of the patient. We trust that all the members of the House will grant our request." Th6 petition, addressed to Sir William Fex, concluded with a stirring appeal to assist the Maori race to combat the evils of intemperance: "If you hqve any regard for us, the Maori people, send away this evil leviathan which you have brought to this land to destroy us, our lauds, and our children. Long may you be spared to raise your voiee against this great snake, grog, as you have done in the past. This plea is made by your friends, who are living in sadness because of this evil." Haimona Te Ao te Rangi, the Whanganui chieftain Who drew up the petition, was one of the leaders i 0 the loyal band of Maoris at. the battle of Moutoa Island in 1864, when the existence of the Wanganui townsliip was threatened by llaithau fanatics.