Europeanising the Maori.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 24, 10 January 1913, Page 3

Europeanising the Maori.

| f ßeprint from the Egmont Star.) fo the Government Gazette ■A issued last .week there appear .1 regulations prescribing the rourse to be followed by persons .4* d: the native race who, under the legislation of last session, desire to “Europeanise” tliemsolves. These set out that any ' 1 native must make applical|9i:on in prescribed form to the Land Court, pay certain jjlfees, and accompany the applic-a-■Bcion with statutory declarations ■setting out in detail all lands to he or she has a registered tie, either as• owner or oceu'.Sjpier. In the event of the apIpplicant net ha ving sufficient land ■M for h i s :ul e qu a te m a i n te n a n ce the n Hhe or she shall obtain and lodge ®.i declaration, signed by a responflsible person, that the applicant is gable to adequately maintain himIgsolf or herself by cjme special trade or calling, or lie or she has a sufficient |gi i u' m ne for adequat c mainto nance. 01:'. in the opinion of tlie Land Bt.' >ui t, after full enquiry has been ■made, the applicant is a fit proper person to become, u-poses of the n : ve land ' '-opaau,” t) ’’Act Mnr ®iliter, sting v. ;> many oti„ s | 3wlv'’’i have precedewjfreg' 11 of nat J " ■will J;;)' A .aaori !) ~.iest point of , anomic progress. 1 *> doubt, writes v de special know] vie hope of ar Hj van cement of th y i P’diis new depart- id ' ■remarks that t’ a as i Bheen- iutrodiu jject ] j! removing -trieIjtions and f the! Ba.ttivo iae ent the; ■ Maori fro- /divest-! Mmg hi 111 s , erty, and > gibus ir oijiing aj ■charge ritable ins- j giituti ominion. Itj Pm as 1 or some time j i' bat ns are unjust j 1 ! - 1 er members of j sing the practi- j wisdom of the ] ■ontemporary i A. T. Ngata! 'limed to as i .ad it has been j . a good deal of rea- j ay should men of the type . . the member for the Eastern! ■ Maori distnet he placed under i l-'UqJi disabilities? Tiiere are; ■many Maoris, it is stated, who j H ire quit'.' able to take care of ■ Hihcir own affairs, and one is! jgi ddeii told that in money matters Hi.hey are just their ■brother pakeha. Th ‘nil’ll# now proposes 'el P -or. Provided ■satisfy the Nat' 1| uid the Native A, given the lt»ga v understand, has beei. m the educational test. \ flittempting to cast the slig IreUection upon the members Hi lie Native Land Court- Benci. gwo would like to ask how many 1 >f th.- judges will care to accept line position of acting school-j Kmasiers? In tlie event of an] ■applicant not having the pre- j § crib -d landed possessions, the : k ud ;i will have to go into tiie ■merits of the natives ability to l ■‘am his or iter own living. The ■new duties will, perhap.-, provide, - M-oim' occupation to fill in the ■judge''- - pare time. That is all ■very well, but thi> seems a ■policy that whilst the State on ■the one- hand takes elaborate j|preeaulions to safeguard the

i. it, on the other hand, throw open the door for a native tempted with a new and suddei •i responsibility, to enter upon £ brief and thriftless life, divesting 0 himself for all time of every r singe acre. The question arises. e Will such natives as the Hon. s A. T. Ngata, the Hon. Dr. r Pomare, or Dr Te Rangihiroa, u M's.P., three of the representatives of the Maori race, avail themselves of the privilege of becoma pakeha ? We think not. To 3 do so will, we understand, be to 1 divorce themselves of any right to stand as a candidate for any “ Maori constituency, as to all I intents and purposes they would ‘ be Europeans. The most serious consequences of the Governments Europeanising policy, however, 1 is the effect of the law. By a recent poll the native people of the Horouta (Waiapu district) have decided against the sale ; of liquor to Maoris in that dis- : trict, but the whole of this law 1 ; i< apparently calmly set aside by the Maori assuming 1 European status. Furthermore, • the sale of liquor to a Maori ‘ I woman “Europeanising” her- ’ ; self and demanding pakeha ‘ rights in this respect ? We are • told on good authority there is ino safegauard.” Some of the ob- ! ections raised seem to refer to, mere details in respect of which lie law can easily be amended. The effect on the licensing polls can no doubt be dealt with before next poll is taken ; so can ihe electoral disqualification of I Maori members. Perhaps, as to I : the latter matter, discussion will > ! be reopened respecting the wis- ; - -’* v with a special pie. This is a cuiu»„ 0 . nch must be provided against iul we cannot believe that either .he Native Land Court or the Native Minister, I would not -be particularly careful, before approving an ! application, to see that the j applicant is a parson who may he trusted to look after his own ■ j interests just as the gentlemen 1 specially referred to by name are certainly capable of doing, The experiment will be watched with interest, and carefully no ■doubt, with the view of seeing that at least no harm is done. Whether the new law will be j taken advantage of to any i extent, and whether it will do much practical good, are matters on which it; would be premature to express an opinion, though we I are rather doubtful.