THE MAORI RACE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5256, 26 March 1928, Page 3

THE MAORI RACE.

QUESTION OF NUMBERS. STATED TO BE INCREASING. "The pure-blooded Maori race is increasing.” This, casual remark, offimade during a discussion on “ New Zealand affairs generally, led to .. a special inquiry by a “Dominion” representative into the subject .and to the unfolding of information of a particularly interesting character only now made public. < It is worthy of note that even in the early ’forties attempts wtere made to estimate the number of the Maoii population, but these figures varied , widely. The revered Missioner, Rev. Williams, piaced the figure at 200,000, but the estimate of Governor Grey in 1849 wajs 120,000, wii'le anothen estimate four years later which was placed on record was 60,0'00. The first official census of Maori? was taken in 1857, the figures returned being 56.049. No other census was then taken until 1874, when the figures fell to 415,470. From that time a census of the Maori population has been taken with the.(European census. The lowest figure recorded was 39,854, in 1896, but there has- been an increase each census since then except in 1916, when there was a decrease of 68, due to the number on active service, the number of Maori deaths in the war running eventually well into 'foul figures. Though not generally known, the epidemic of 1918 created havoc in the Maori race, for wlrle over 5000 r' Europeans were victims, the Maori deaths in that terrible period were approximately 2500, a heavy toll in proportion to tihe population. While the figures, with the one exception, have increased, there has been a good deal bf intermingling with Europeans. The question interesting the highest authorities oh the Maori people and Maori lore is whether the full' hooded Natives are reproducing at a rate which will make up for wastage from their ranks by death and intermarriage. To keep up their numbers they must, of course, marry fullblooded Maoris themselves. An extract from the report of Di’i Buck—already referred to—says“ Every i full-blooded Maori who marries anyone not a fullblood like himsei is , deiberately stepping outejdie the confines of the full-bloods.” WEIGHT FOR AGE.. ( In recent years investigations regarding, the Natives have produced several interesting facts, and it is worth placing on record that in an examination of Native, school children made as far back as 1908, a comparison was made between, the weights of Maori and European children. This examination . revealed that, age for age, the Maoris were the heavier children. At the age of 15 years the Maori was 141bs. the heavier. The Native children were living on two meals a day—the usual H Native allowance —while the white children were from King’s College. The extra weight was not due to extra nourishment, but to racial characteristics.