The Daily News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1901. LIQUOR SELLING TO NATIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 216, 19 September 1901, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1901. LIQUOR SELLING TO NATIVES.

Alii well wishers, of the native race agree that one of the chief causes of evil amongst them is the unrestrained use of alcoholic liquors. Very great efforts have been made by their friends amongst the pakeha and the better class of natives to keep liquor from them, but ,very great difficulty is experienced in doing so. Efforts are being made this session to sequre legislation to put the matter on a more satisfactory footing.' In our report of the proceedings of Parliament in our last issue mention was made of a number of petitions whiofc -ware presented to the House on this subject. .The New Plymouth Prohibition 'recently adopted a vel 7 petition on this subject which has beeitmgoed by the President of the League, and, we understand, all the local clergymen and forwarded to the House addressed to the Hon. the Speaker and We believe the petition will express the views of the great majority of the people of Taranaki who regret to see such a noble race as the Maoris degraded by the use of alooholic liquors. After the usual introduction the text of the petition is as follows-That it is within the knowledge of the petitioners that statutory declarations were, in or about September 1900, submitted to the public Petitions A and L Committee of your honourable House containing allegations made by the Rev. F. A. Bennett,! Anglican Maori Missionary, Bell Block; Rev. H. T. Rawnsley, clergyman, Waitara; Rev. S. J. Garlick, Wesleyan Minister, Waitara; "Rev. T. G. Hammond, Wesleyan Maori Missionary, Patea; J. J. Patterson, blacksmith, Manaia, and others, whose combined statements showed that, so far as the experience of those making these declarations goes:—Deaths of the natives occur in the Taranaki Provincial District as the result of drink; that crimes of violence are committed by them from the same cause; that the natives with few exceptions drink to excess; that women and girls may often be seen in a state of intoxication, notwithstanding the illegality of sales of liquor to native women ; that in consequence of their drinking habits the natives are, at least in some districts, poorer (though drawing large rentals from land) than they were ten years ago; that it is notoriously unsafe for tradesmen to give them credit, because so large a proportion of their income is spent in licensed hotels; tbat, on the occurrence of native deaths, the relatives in man? cases dispose cf their stock and goods at any sacrifice in order to obtain beer in large quantities; that large sums are thus wasted; that beer and spirits are, at these tamgis, drunk in c'ose proximity to the graves, and during the progress of the funeral service. That the tangi in some districts has degenerated into one long drinking bout, that helpless drunkenness of natives, and shameless deeds on the part of drunken natives are to be saen in the immediate neighbourhood of licensed public houses. 'That many of the Maoris, in their sober moments, acknowledge that it

would be better for them if drink was unobtainable. That drink has bean responsible for the death of thousands of their race, and the demoralization of many of the survivors. That the pre sent system of licenses, . especially wholesale licjnses, is destroying them moia'ly and socially, and if not speedily prevented, will destroy the race. Yc«r petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honourable House will make full inquiry into the«e allegations, which seem to indicate lax administration of the licensing l>«ws. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will evur pray. etc.