DARK DAYS IN N.Z.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 442, 28 January 1933, Page 2

DARK DAYS IN N.Z.

WOFjK OF CIVILISATION

WARS OVER, THE : NATIVES COMMENGE TO GROW CROPS. MUCH PROGRESS MADE. Conclusion. ( Copyright — All Rights Reserved) Having pasSed the troublduS tinVes^ the writer now discusses the mental and industrious progress bf the natives. He urges the growth of crops, the erection of mills and houses and the provision of schdols. A farm establishment is also proposed, at whieh the nativesf might learn agriculture. A new difhculty now arose, that of finding a miller to take charge of the mill. In this arrangement I experienced more vexations and difficulty than in the erection of the mills. There was a pei-son ready to take charge ,but the natives, not knowing the value of EUropean labour, refused to give him a proper i'emuneration. One old chief offered one qiiaft of wheat per day. At length, after tWo months, this knotty point was settled. On the following day, the miller commenced working the mill. In the year 1848 the natives of Rangiwahia took down some flour to Auckland, which they sold for about £70. The neighbouring tribes, seeing the benefit likely to arise from the erection of mills, began earnestly to clesire them. A mill was erected, and is now working, at Kaitatoto. It cost about £80. Another was contracted for at Kawhia. It cost abotit £830, and has since been finished, and the sum of £315 has been paid on account, it being still on the contract. This mill, although very complete, was charged for exorbitantly. A few weeks ago a contract was entered into for thfe erection at Mahoanui, on the Waipa, of the largest mill yet built, iat a cost of £300. The natives of Kawhia are anxiouS for the erection of a second mill, and the natimes of Te Hita and Mahia and Watauata, on the Waipa, and of Kirikiriroa and Waingapa, on the Waikato, and Matamata, propose to erect mills. At several of these places the, funds required are being collected. Wheat is very extensively grown in the Waikato district. At Rangiwahia the wheat fields cover 450 acres of land. I have also this year introduced barley land oats at that place. Many of the people at various villages are now forming orchards and they possess many hundreds of trees budded or planted by themselves, cdnsisting of peach, apple, pear, plum, quince, almond, etc., also gooseberry bushes in abundance. For flowers or ornamental trees they have no taste. As they do not bear fruit, it is in their opinion loss of time to cultivate them. The Governor's Visit. In February last, His Excellency, Sir George Grey, K.C.B., Governor-in-Chief, visited Otawhao. His Excellency spent half a day at Rangiwahia and expressed himself much pleased with the progress of the natives at that place. He visited the mill, which was working at the time. Two bags of flour were presented to His Excellency for Her Majesty the Queen, and they h'ave since been forwarded to London. The Governor-in-Chief since that time presented the Rangiwahia natives with a pair of fine horses, a dray and harness and a. plough and h'arness. He also requested me to engage a farm servant to instruct the natives in the use of the plough, etc. The value of the fldur sent down this year from Rangiwahia, and now ready for the Auckland market may be estini'ated at about £330. Of this sum, upward of £240 was, or will be, spent in the purcha'se of horses, dray and plough. Each little tribe is now endeavouring to procure a plough and pair1 of horses, and they expect during the next year to have at least ten ploughs at work. The rapid advancement in cultivation is the fruit of Sir George Grey's kind present and friendly feeling toward these tribes. The chiefs of Otawhao and Kihikihi have already proposed to introduce the plough at th'ose places. One of the chiefs at Rangiwahia has erected a small boarded house. He has also several cows, one of which he generally milks in the morning.

Future Improvement. In reference to the future improvement of the aborigines, there are many distinct points to be attended to. Of these, in my opinion, the principal are: First, the establishment of the natives in the Chritian faith; secondly, the establishment of schools, particularly of boarding schools for the education of the natives and halfcaste children; thirdly, to fasten and promote the spirit now abroad for the growth of wheat and the erection of mills; fourthly, to eneourage the natives generally to purchase sheep aiid cattle; fifthly, the erection df a brick oven in every village to ePable the natives to bake leavened bread; sixthly, to instruct the natives to build boarded houses after the European style; seventhly, to poirit out to the natives that by attending to these plans they Will receive many comforts for their families, and. also an annual rOvenue for the purchase of such -sarticles as they .could not provide themselves with. In reference to the first point, as it is the legitimate office of the missionary, every member of the hody will rejoice at the establishment of his people in the faith of Christ. In reference to schools, for the education of the adult and rising generatiion, it is much to be regfetted that so little has hitherto been accomplished in this way. The Church Missionary Society only lallow a very limited sum for this branch of missionary labour, .and hence the necessity of increased ' local exertions to raise funds fOT this parpose. ; The grants for schodls from the cdlonial revenue will be thankfully received, the future prdsperity of the; mission depends flnder God riiainly ilpOn the exertion each worker has made iri this department. Every missionary now feels the need of efficient native assistaiits, but he is at a loss where to obtain them. The village schoois, in a great measure, failed, but this arose from the want of teachef s duly prepafed and qualified to conduct them. Wel must theii look to our. settlement mission boarding school for native assistahcfe and especially for teachers fbr our village schools. Unless boarding schools are established and youths

■ 1 " mmmm mmm — — ^ - trained in them for conducting the village schools, it is plain that the children in numeroug villages cannot receive even the: rudiments of either ah English' or native education, or make any considerable advanee in civilisation. The moSt promising children of both' sfexes * OUght th be Carefully selected from the various villages and gathered together at the mission settlement schools. Many of them will become village school teachers. From the o ys' school, the most promising youthg should again be selected and br'Ought ifito a higher School. From this, undef Goa'S blfessiftg, candidates for the niinistry in'ay be taken. Plans for Developmerrt. In the establishment of schools, the half-caste ought not to be overiooked. In order to improve the temporal coiidition of thd aborigines generally, it appears to be highly desirable that a farming establishment fon a very limited scale should be carried on from tbree to five years. At this establishment any . natives anxious to introduce- the plough drito their fespective Villages would receivq instfuctions in the maiiageftieilt of it — also in the irtaiiagemeiit of a cart and horses. Their horses could alSO be broken in for them to the plough. "Wlithout such ajn esftablishment, it scarcely appears probable that the people can make any rapid advancement in civilisation. , The property of the tribes at Rangiwahia, Otawhao, Kihikihi, Orakau, Mahoanui, etc., Will soori excite - the jealousies of other tribes, and we reasonably hope that in the course of a few years, the plough will be introduced into every village. The cost of the farming implements required and the unusual expense of the farm would be small when we considei the important benefits it- would cmfer upon numereus tribes. At. the coinmencement of ihe establishment there would be leqiiied one plough, one harrow, one dray nd harness and two horse's. Ahy farming implements required in future years could be provided from local funds. Being a temporary establishment, it would be unnecessary to erect any expensive buildings. A stable for the horses and a shed for the cart would be the only buildings required, and they cotild be ereuoed at a coSt of £10. The anndal expenses of the establishment would be merely the wages for one farm servant. Nothing wotild more contribute to promote the civilisation and advancement of the natives than one or more such establishments, and to fotward their civilisation would be the surest way to improve the peace, the safety aiid the prosperity of the entire colony. The aborigines, seeing the inestimaable blessing conferred upon them by the British Government would soon find their p property so increased that they would not, even if selfish motives alone influenced them all to engage in a destructive and unprofitable war, they would find peace With the British Government indispensible to their own prosperity, .and feeling they would "beat their swords into plough shares and their spears into pruning hooks" with such' a state of affairs, they would cheerfully submit even in extreme cases to the authority of law and become the dutiful and loyal subjects of our Beloved Queen. It is not probable that any missiofiary society would supply the funds neeessafy for such ari undertaking, their ohject being to preach the Gospel to the heath'en, but would it notr be a very legitimate and faithful way of expending a purtion of the funds set apart by the Government for the benefit of the aboriginal race? It would be advisable to form such establishments at mission stations ,as it would be impossible for missionaries properly to direct attd superintend them if situated a feW miles from their stations. Stock Necessary. Fourthly, it appears desirable that cattle .and sheep should he introduced generally amongst the natives tribes. Scofula and other diseases are so general and so fatal amongst the .aborigines that it is importarit to endeavour to cheek their progress. The diseases -have been fostered by the use of bad and improper food, and it is probable that their constitutions wotild much improve by a general change of diet. Again many hundreds of children are lost for the want Of proper food at the time of weaning. The mother's milk being dried " up, the little infants are preserited with a potato and a draught of cold. water. The children frequently r'eftlse this urinatural change of diet and sieken and die. If then, by the growth of

wheat arid the iritroduction of cattle and sheep, they can be supplied with florir . and a little light animal food, many hundreds of lives would. be saved. The sheep and cattle will also be valuable for market and the Wool tif the sheep for spirining and weaving into coarse cloth as blanket for their own use. Fifthly, the erection of a brick oven in every village will very much contribute to the comfort of the inh'abitants as they will then he able to sup'ply themselves with good light bread in place of tbe heavy 'dampers baked in the ashes Whieh they now use. Other Industries. Sixth'ly, appears important that the riatives should; he instructed in spirining,- weaving and knittirig, Much time is noW spent in idleness,- which ttiight be turned to good account. If a good industrial system is cafried on in the schools, these arts corild be intfoduced from thence amongst the natives. Generally a farm servant,, having knowledge of spinning, and weaving (if sucb a person could be found) would he able to conduct the farming operations and instruct the children of the school in spinning and weaving. Seventhly, to eneourage the natives to ferect good boarded houses would very much ptoftiote their civilisation, health and comfort. Eightly, it cannot be expected that the; aborig(ine& Who have hitherto been aecustomed to spend so much' time in idleness and sloth should freely come fotward to engage in laboious duties. If, hoWeVer, the benefits they will derive from a steady and industrious course are pointed out to them; they will then, on doubt, pladly engage in such pursuits.