The Daily News, WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1903. THE UPLIFTING OF THE MAORI.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 158, 8 July 1903, Page 2

The Daily News, WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1903. THE UPLIFTING OF THE MAORI.

Although th-3 Rev. F, A. Bennots is in Holy Orders in the Anglican Church, tho great work ho is, ar,d has j been fjr siiuo time engaged iu, in ooninßction with tho uplifting of the Maori, is by no me us (f a sectarian cbarr.cter. Just as tho work in S< uth Taranaki of tha R< v. T. Q. Hammond, who belongs to the Methodist Church, h i-ppreciated and suppoited by people of all denominations, po the propla of every branch of the Chris ian Church support Mr Bjnnett here. Apart, altogether from the religious aspect of tho question, Mr Benc'ett'tS work hero, end iti confection with tha Victoria Pchool for Maori gir's, is a great moral i.t.d social work of the highfst national importsrrcp. Toe existence of a large number of people only a gr-neration i stnovoJ from swages, must necessarily bo a menace to the body politic, and *ho uplifting of the race on to the higher plane of our European civilisation must hi of great advantage to the State. While not undervaluing Mr Bennett's work from the purely religious aspect, we desire to point out the claim his woik has from a nationalistic standpoint, Mr B-nnvti's energy, his abili'y, bis persistency, and his success cntitlod him to rank as a great moral and social reformer and patriot, Kvery well-wisher of the community musfi wish him success. Mr Govetr, sttuck the nail on the head whea he spoke of education as the greit factor in thefu'ure uplifting of th s Maori at the Maori mission meeting on Monday Light. Th-it Mr B.nuett has reco n '- nis :d this is shown by his able advocacy of the school for Maori girl?, and we are glad to see his manly, elcquent, and ticaely condemnation of those who would nairow hi a sphere of labour. While the Mso. i rt mains in a s'a'e of igtoranco eve-i his conversion to Christianity does not rtmove the difficulties and temptations of life in a Maori pah. To do this tha Maori must be educated in mind and body, and fitted to fi 1 his pi ice PS a citizen af the etafe. The Jos'iiulion of native schools, such as that recently opened noar Warea, is a big; step in tha righi direction. The Msot i bslongs to an intensely proud, pitriotic lace, uud he likes to ba on an equality with the pakeha. To compel tha M=ori child to attend the ordinary Sta'e school is asking hiai to take a secondary place; but the native s.iho:>l is h's j own, and .appeals to his feaiings in a i way which sa'i-fias his pride and hisS

patriotic sentiments, We hopi Mr B-noeti's efforts will be h»art,i y supported until the blending ef the two races inhabiting Now Zealmd rmders the distinction between Mao:i and pakeha a thing of thep^st.