THE ISLANDERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1120, 10 July 1913, Page 4

THE ISLANDERS.

NOT A DOOMED RACE.

FUTURE OF THE MAORIS

There is uo reason why the Polynesians and the Maoris, who are a branch of that family, should not survive. But if they are to live they must work in order to sustain activity and virility essential for race preservation. This was, in brief, the view expressed by Dr. Buck m discussing the question of the future of the native race. Dr. Buck speaks with some authority in that he has been a native health officer in New Zealand for some years, and was the representative in the Mackenzie Administration of the Maoris and the natives of the Cook and other Islands that have been annexed by the Dominion. He has Maori blood iu his veins, and and is keenly solicitous of the welfare of his mother’s race. Since the era of peace the natives have been afflicted with the curse of idleness, and other causes have militated against their welfare, but he thiuks tnat a new day is dawning, and that they have now taken a fresh lease of life.

“I regard the problem of the future of the Polynesian as a very important one,” he said, “because it affords a lest of the assertions so often made that wherever civilisation comes into contact with a dark-skinned race the latter goes under. Scientific authorities assert that the Polynesians belong to the Caucasian or highest division of mankind, and it has been shown by measurements that they have big brain power, and where you get a people who come from the Caucasian division, and not from the negroid, and who range in the first class with regard to intellectuality, it seems to me that they have a big chauce of survival. THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION. “These native races had, of course, manners and customs that greatly differed from the European, and the fact that they were a fighting people helped to endow them vvllh good physique and virility, which largely disappeared when civilisation and the strange diseases that accompanied it were introduced. Iu the period of transition from what may be termed the state of savagery to civilisation they suffered, and the population of the Maoris and the natives of all the other islands in-

habited by the Polynesian race went down. But what we hope now is that the people will adjust themselves to new conditions — that they have enough mentality to realise that the old order of things must give way to the new. “With regard to the Islands with which I am most familiar — that is, the Cook Group and Nine —I know the ravages that Introduced diseases have made, but the New Zealand Government, recognising their responsibilities to the people of those Islands, has now provided them with medical attention, and there has been a wonderful improvement in the health of the natives. New desires have been created, which has spurred them on to industry in order to obtain little luxuries and comlorls, and this activity will prove invigorating, and, I am sure, save them from the doom that some people seem to think is inevitable. CURSE OR COMMUNISM. “Of the Maoris I can speak with more knowledge. While the population undoubtedly decreased 'or a large number ot years, it is now on the increase, and I attribute this to education and the health campaign initiated by the Government which has led to an improvement in th: , suitary condition of the villages and a greater knowledge of the laws of health. This in itself is, of course, not sufficient, and the salvation of the Maoris depends upon their emerging from the inactivity, which they have exhibited during the transition period of development, and accepting the gospel of work. The ideal of the Young Maori party is an intensely practical one. We say that the natives must utilise the lauds that remain in cheir possession, and become a race of workers. They have made great strides in that direction, and on the East Coast it has been amply demonstrated that where a good example has been set they are quick to fall into Hue. The curse of the Maori race is the communistic system.

It was a very useful system in the old fighting days, but it is of no use now. What we want is to get the titks to the laud individualised—that is, each Maori getting the title of a piece of land, instead of it all being owned by the community—and when that is done you will find that they will develop into a race of farmers, and fulfil all the obligations of citizenship.”