Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1909. LIQUOR AND THE NATIVES.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4498, 2 December 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2,1909. LIQUOR AND THE NATIVES.

Fou very obvious reasons our local contemporary cannot possibly side with us iu lighting the battles of the Natives against mere sectional trade.it.terests. We are in the fortunate position of being free, and untrammelled by class and trade influence and concern. Wo are not obliged when we write to consider first of all : How will this affect one particular trade ? Persons who are compelled by self interest to constantly take backward glances as they follow truth, lest it should lead them too far from what is due to those who pay them to have only particular things said in the interest of a trade, are _ not free. Our primary consideration is : What is right ? aud the next consideration is : What is best for the people P If we were tied down to chiefly consider : What is •best for the liquor traffic ? intend of : Wbat is best for the whole People ? We should then feel that we were not free to folh w truth withersoever it might lead We sympathise with the “ Mail ” in its unhappy position, because those who pay the piper have the right to call for particular tunes. That being so _ the “ Mail ” has to set mere sectional interests before national welfare and pipe the tune. Whoever says one word in the interests of the people as distinct from a mere class or trade, is branded by the “ Mail ” as “ untruthful ” or as knowing nothing about the question. The late Mr Seddon when Premier of New Zealand Said : My heart bleeds for the degradation of the Maoris through drink. They should be treated as European children are, i.e. liquor should not be supplied to them I should be willing to legislate in the direction of preventing the selling up of licensed houses within the ring boundary asked for by them. In regards to allowing Natives to vote at Local Options they are like children. They would come into a township) to vote one way, but get drink into them and probably not vote as they intended.” Evi rybody knows that Mr Seddon then spoke the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ; but it was a blow at the “ Mail's ” fetish, and this is what it said in its issue on 2oth ult. : “ What ‘ Mr Foddon said,’ doesn’t matter much. If Mr Seddon had left the Native question (which he knew nothing about) severely alone the Dominion had been much better off to-day. The Maori is more capable of voting on public questions than the “ News ” is of writing on them.”

It would suit the “Mail ” admirably to see the Natives attempting to do whit Mr Seddon said they could not be trusted to do, because they ought to be treated like European children.

This question of permitting intoxicate ing liquors in the King Country is becoming a burning one. Quite recently a mass meeting was held in the Town Hall, Wellington. The building was packed with people anxious to hear the question discussed. The following resolution was carried : ** That those present at this meeting express their deep indignation at the violation of the solemn promise given to the natives by the New Zealand Government that no liquor licenses should ever be grauted in the King Country. They call upon the representatives of every section of the Christain Church, and all press editors, and members of Parliament to whom the welfare of the Maori race and the honour of this nation is dear, to urge upon the Government to at once introduce legislation to annul the licenses granted, and to remedy this evil.” Will the “ Mai l ” tell ns why it is that indignation meetings are never hold to press ihe Government to protect the Natives against the grocery trade, or the cL thing trade, or boot trade, or any other trade except the intoxicating liquors trade ? Our contemporary is afraid to answer that question in a frank aud straightforward way. He will laugh it off and sneer about “ piety 7 ,” which appears to be a particular offence in his eyes. We may thank our luckv stars he cannot go the lengths of Toiquemada. An impious man appeirs to be a hero in the estimation of the “ Mdl ” ; but a pious One, it appears, is lit fur the flames of Hmithttel ', Int Jorance will recoil upon his own head. Let us give one illustration of the dreadful evil of tho liqu ir traffic in the King Country. We lntvo it black upon white before us now from the pen of a responsible high official in a religious communion. A certain man, whose ramc is given us, had a nice little business in the King Country to which place he had repaired to get away from the liquor traffic because ho had personally felt the curse of drink. At the placo he went to he found that through wholesale licences liquor was eisi y obtained. He was invited to join carousals, and not wishing to partake of hospitality without reciprocating it, he organised convivial parties. The downward course is Ero verbislly easy, and ho fuund it by itter experience to be extremely so. He sold bis business for £2OO, returned to Auckland jyid spent all bis money in a very short time in rj tons living, Having no more money he j awned his clothes and his watch and chain. He even pawned some of his tools. He was Fuiued 1

What will the “Mail” say to that f We know what our readers will say- It is one of the sad fruits of the traffic, Its fruits are like applos of Sidonj aud grapes of Gomorrah, and w • sh ill try to save the Natives in the King Country from the traffic m twiilistanding tho Mail’s ” abuse and misrepresentations. The Natfon’g faith was practically pledged, and its honoqr la at stake, and the “ Mail ” ought to help to maintain the honour of the D iminion, hut is not free to do that. Class interest comes first with it add tlye Nation’s interest appears to come second,