HELPING THE GIRLS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 257, 22 June 1932, Page 4

HELPING THE GIRLS

"UPLIFT POLICY"

ELDERLY FARMER CHARGED WITH ACCOUNTS FOR MAORI MAIDS. FACE-PASTE AND SELFISHNESS The story of 'a philantrophie gentleman who tried the "uplift policy" up- ; on some of the young native girls of Whakarewarewa pa was told in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court on Monday, when Mrs. L. Mitton, storekeeper, of Whaka, sued William 'George Buteher, farmer, of Reporoa, for the recovery of £17 5s 6d, balance of a ; debt incurred by two Maori girls. lltwas alleged by plaintiff that Buteher . had agreed to be responsible for the* accounts and had already paid certain amounts for the girls. On the other hahd, Buteher said that while he had helped the girls out with part payment of one of the accounts, he had given no authority to the girls to incur debts on his behalf or to Mrs. Mitton to suplpy them. "Mr. W. A. Carter, who appeared for the plaintiff, declared in his opening remarks that he had the greatest re~ spect for Mr. Buteher, who took* a fatherly interest in a number of girls in the pa. It was his s-incere wish to uplift them. One of these girls was known as Mrs. Buteher and the plaintiff contended that defendant had agreed to be responsible for their debts. In Sept,, 1931, he gave plaintiff a cheque for £5 10s, and told her to take out the 16s he owed and give "Tuku" and "Bunny" credit for the balance. Later Tuku wanted a skirf, and Buteher paid 19 s lld for the garment, and 11s off the girl's account. There was no written promise on the part of Buteher to pay, but he submitted that plantiff should succeed under the equity and good conscience clause of the Act. There was another girl's account which he said he would pay, but had only been eharged with those of "Tuku" and "Bunny." Work a Failure. Later But'cher wrote to Mrs. Mitton stating that he would no longer pay the girls' debts. He had spent years of his life trying to civilise the Maoris. ne was the first white settler in Reporoa, arriving there 40 years ago, and had always taken a keen interest in the race. But the Maoris had gone down hill since those days. He decided some years ago to write a hook on the Maoris and came to Whaka to study the present generation, especially the girls. However, he found they thought of nothing but cigarettes and face-paste, and were absolutely selfish. He was very unconventional, but had always tried to follow out his creed never to be unkind or dishonest to other people. He had tried to help Tuku and Bunny, but had failed. On one occasion he had sent in money to buy ointment for a scalded child, but found Tuku had spent the lot on her self and the child got no treatment. The old Maoris were an honourable people, but the young ones could not now be trusted. This letter, said Mr. Carter, would show Mr. Butcher's creed, but at the same time it was sufficient to make the court think that he had promised to pay the girls' bills. Mrs. Witton said her claim was i for £7 5s 6d, the amount due for j goods^ supplied to the Maori girls. ) Tuku was ref erred to as Mrs. Buteher. j A number of natives were present at | a gathering in her tea rooms, which j was apparently a welcome home to | Mr. and Mrs. Buteher. Beyond his j letter he had given no reason for not | paying -except that he was not so i friendly with the girls as he used to | be. , I Iiindly Help Given. - Mr. E. Roe, for the defence, said the position was a very simple one. Mr. Buteher had been here a lifetime and took a keen interest in the Maoris. He knew nothing about the accounts until they were presented. He had merely helped the girls and | they were not the only ones he had 1 assisted. 1 William G. Buteher, the defendant, I said he had always taken an interest 1 in the Maoris and knew Tuku and || Bunny. He knew nothing about the f| accounts until the girls told him Mrs. g Mitton was going to summons them. j| The 'girls asked him to help them and I he said he would do so and gave Mrs. a Mitton, he thought, about £5. Any- g thing else he agreed to give the girls II he paid for at the time. It was only jgj Maori tallc about Tuku being Mrs. g| Buteher, and Bunny' s parents had j| worked for him 30 years ago. HeH was in the habit of helping the Mao- 1§ ris." Tuku was Bunny's mate, but ^ he did not know her parents. He vas m much surprised to learn that the girls || owed as much as £7 and considered it^ very silly of Mrs. Mitton to give such 13 In reply to Mr. Carter, he said hej| took a particular interest in the tvo^| girls and did not wish to see theingM sued. He had never been in Auckland jS with them, but had returned from the^ coast with them on one oc.casion. R||g was quite a common thing for Maoris pa to refer to a man's friend as his wife.^ It did not h other him in the least have Tuku called Mrs. Buteher. HejS had given the girls cheques previomH to June. III Misplaced Trust. Wm In giving judgment, the magistrafeB (Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M.) said de-flB fendant had been a foolxsh old mat^K in mixing up with the Maoris. Thett® was no doubt that he had acted i;|l| such a way as to lead Mrs. Mitton believe that he would he responsibl^B for the accounts run by the girls^B Judgment would he for the amoiiBW| claimed, £7 5s 6d, and costs £2