The Maories.

Manawatu Herald, 15 September 1903, Page 2

The Maories.

The question of the preservation of the Native race is admittedly one requiring careful attention, and the Right Honourable the Premier is to be commended for the interest he has oaken in and the time he has devoted to the subject. His admiration of the Maori race is well known, and he has not been slow in letting the fact be known not only within the Colony, but also throughout the Empire. The traditional communism of the Maoris is responsible indirectly for a good deal of mortality amongst them. We do not think that the Government has paid sufficient attention to the medical requirements of the natives living nearFoxton. A case in point just come under our notice. A comparatively young Maori woman, named Mary Piripi, from the pah across the river,

suffering from an aggravated form of consumption, apparently in the last stages and consequently in great suffering, has thrown herself on the hospitality and sympathy of a resident in the township, who has a family of young children. The patient came uninvited and insisted on staying, she had no money to obtain medical attendance and preferred to perish rather than go to a hospital, expressing a desire to die with her own people. Of course it was impossible to turn her into the street, and a great deal of expense and trouble, as well as risk, is necessarily incurred in admitting her. We think the Mayor should be asked to communicate at once by wire with the Chief Health Officer when such cases occur. The present system, however, of dealing with the medical requirements of the natives fall short of being effective for, the reason that the Maories are naturally reticent in reporting cases of this kind. The consequent is that we have of late been continually hearing of langis held at various localities at no great distance from Poxton. We think that the local ministers of religion should interest themselves in the natives more than they are doing, and that they should acquaint themselves with the language!, which is the Only way of enabling anyone to keep in touch with the wants, both physical and spiritual of vhis fine race* • tn this connection most of the residents will remember the late Rev. Abraham Honors who laboured for many years among the Maories of this district} with a dis* interested devotion which won the confidence and veneration of the natives. We believe that his un. selfish exertions have never yet received the recognition which was due to him, and it may not even yet be too late to place on record the extent to Which his ministrations, to both the comfort and welfare of the natives, was appreciated not only by them but also by the European population, Since his death nine years ago‘his invaluable services have never been replaced If this neglect continues w© shall soon witness the sad spectacle of a noble race dying out thrdugh want of help from those who have practioally usurped their territory and destroyed their natural means of subsistence, thus depriving their posterity of the heritage which was theirs by right of descent.