Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1905. THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3494, 9 March 1905, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1905. THE WHITE MAN'S BURDEN.

£ A Matter of nidfc than passing bitten ir- sgain hraiigot i uo p-q.tlmfc--.ee by the “ Wanganui Herald,” which has taken a leading part iti advocating tilts eaiiSe of the noble race of italives who hav’e beEn displaced in these islands by the white man. It is held to be incumbent upon the newcomer to leach his brown brother the arts and usages of civilisation, and, above all, how td so order bis mode of living that his days may belong in the Mod. In the past ton little has been done in this direction. We occasionally hear it stated that the Maori face is fast dying out; there is a. momentary interest shown hy a small section of the public in the matter, and—it is again lost sight of for a time. One Wanganui contemporary now quotes ttrl interVihw With Mr Q. VV: Grace, teacher of the Ponloanß Native feahool; in connection with which, sdme tinrle | since* the Government initiated a village scheme that is now in danger of being abandoned; Pathetic indeed in the extreme is the message which the MaOris are rendrted td haVO sent to the Premier i a We afe dying fast; and want you to show its how to work aud live so that we may not all go down fd the graved’ Shall it be said that irt this hVentifcth eerttliry Such a cry as this is to be alio wed to go unheeded by a Government which Ins ever shown itself so ready to recognise the necessities of a cilse and to endeavour to find a remedy for appai'Orit evils ? We think not. We do not at present know why the Pontdana native village experiment is in danger of being dropped j ihciiigh doubless the Minister in charge has a good reason tor the contemplated slep. Still we can only deplore siich an occurrence. Mr Grace's) summary of the position forms a Striking Objectlesson on the havoc Wrought by insanitary methods of living, Me says that the proportion of deaths of natives and their suddenness is appalling. In many cases only one or two h a family of ten children survive, and little else than this can be expected, he points out, so long as newly-born infants are allowed to breathe (he vitiated atmosphere of the wharepuoi, which is generally nnventllated and reeking with tobacco smoke. A species of “ putting out " of infants, amounting practically to baby-farming, is alleged to obtain, the conditions governing which cannot be said to favour the children’s chances of reaching a healthy adult state. Mr Grace advocates the diversion of some of the money now spent on the education of the Maori to bring him and his family out of (he pah into civilised dwellings, and there teaching him cleanliness and industry. Hy this means he may become healthy in body and self reliant in spirit. Much may be done if the matter is taken in both hand:, as the Americans would say. The appoint ment of firm but tactful medical officers, with some knowledge of Maori life and character, who would have charge of workable districts, would tend to greatly improve the conditions under which the native race now lives, and to eliminate many of the customs which now exercise such deleterious effects upon both physique and mofale. Tlie Maori is a great imitator, and will do anything that he is shown —and will do it wellbut he must he kept up to the mark. Mr Grace evidently recognises this fact, for he says, inter alia, that .... “ the land is the place for the Maori, and intelligent activity, wholesome surroundings, and the ever-present knowledge that he is subject to a law that can reach and strike him are factors that alone will save him from rusting out.” We have discussed this question with a medical officer who has I studied the subject very earnestly, [ keenly observing the conditions and. habits of life as they exist to-day among the considerable native population of Taranaki, and the conclusion he arrives at is that we have outlined above —that specially qualified medical men should be appointed whose duties would consist in showing the Maori how to live and then seeing that he follows the directions given. It is useless to show him and then go away and leave him —he must, as Mr Grace says, feel that he will be made to do what is wanted. Care must be taken, however, that the impression is not conveyed of compulsion in actual process of application. There is, too, another aspect of the situation that, although not touched upon by the Pomoana teacher, should not be lost sight of—the danger that would threaten the white population if a virulent outbreak of disease occurred in a Maori kainga near a pakeha centre. Indeed it would almost seem that a special Providence had inter vened to protect New Zealand from such a scourge as would decimate the colony's population in a very brief time. We are assured that in many native pahs the germs of typhoid and other virulent and contagious disorders lie dormant, awaiting, probably, the psychological moment for working their fell purpose. That moment arrived, and there would be weeping and wail ing throughout the land ; while, too late, the white man would recognise the burden that he should have taken np for the preservation of his while brother and himself.