THE MAORI QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 18 March 1907, Page 2

THE MAORI QUESTION.

THE NATIVE MINISTER'S WORK. Captain C. A. Young, president of the Maori Rights Conservation Committee, writes as follows: To read vour report of the gathering of natives 'hold in the Foresters' Hall, llawera, on Wednesday morning last, one would suppose a beneficent Providence had paid the natives a visit in the shape of the Native Minister. Platitudes, baited with honey gathered from the poisonous upas tree, fell from the lips of this master of rhetoric, and (lie natives were told that if they wou'd accept the good the gods provide, i.e., the continuous eonlisc.ition of their lands bv the Public Trustee, and the endless troubles and humiliations constquent on his administration; if they would ring down the curtain oil the past, they might lace the future, without being distracted by painlul recollections

The qucstim: of ;he d:,y was the futuie. 01 lhe Maori. What was to be done; how could he be best equipped for the battle of life; what institutions could be established for his bench!■■. what assitance could be given him in cducatijii or otherwise; ho.v wou'i he be titled in the social and industrial scale? He was glad to knew of the movement 0., the part of the young progressive party. It was welcome evidence to him that, at any rate, some, of the aspirations he hud on behalf of his people miflit reach fulfilment. What a good man we have here! Surely he might have been educated by the Aborigines' Protection Society oil Exeter Hull literature! 11 is to be hoped his private secretary will be eare.'iil to disseminate these'goiuen words so that the jakeha, at any rate, may rend them even where in their loci) newspaper, wliv should Ihev be spoken? It is difficult to believe 1h; speaker can be the same Native Minister who acrq.-ted fill! n<-:-onsihilitv of the infamous Uallawe \Ve,':r Coast 'Settlement Iteserves Act of JH')2. Mr. tarroll might well ask that the past migl,' be forgotten, hi his speech Ji; Sl,i<l """ consideration was whit assistance could lie given the .Maoris in edncaiior, or otherwise. Speaking of the first named, it may be remembered tint one of the most importn,it sections of the principal Act. that is (lie first West Coast Settlement Reserve:-, Act of ISSt, specified lint a ccrfiiY propoilion ■,[ Ihe rents of the natives should be set aside for educational purposes. Not a native demurred, but in the Act of ISD2. which. as has been staled, Mr. Carnil accepted lull re-ponsibility lor wlien speaking to the members oi ilie |[ OIISC |,,,t (,„-, years ago, (bat is the Art which vested the Crown grants of the natives in the Public Trustee in fee simple Ibis most magnificent ,■):„«. was clh.maned. Well might the Vative Minister my l'oi'„vl the past and accept his hoi-v-ladencd words in lull assurance of right-doing in the f i.i(urc!

VVlic is tin' niillicr of chui.-l S df tinMaori baud Settlement Act of IbUV sin-1 clauses ;j and 1 of the Amcndircnl Act of (he following session? "'lie Minister. ■•.Hose continuous native lend policy, extending iiov: over ;i period of sixteen years, lias left (lie natives everywhere except 011 lie; East Coast, sulky, hopeless, heartless, and dependent, demoralised, and degenerate* without retentive to o.cilion „>' :u;v kind, and sinking lower and lower i.o become in lime a I'csfe. ine. uleer in onr social «vsteni. Words, idle w..nk from „ nias'l -r ol rhetoric, Mill not improve lliis stale of things, if any person understands tiie natives, rarely it is the Native Minister Suidy, then, over;' thinking iiuiii wlio rends vour report, Kir, Mill r °- II; et 11-:t if tlie phya'iekui kw.n's the disease h 0 also has lie knowledge of the remedy, iin.i has full power in his position lo adaiieblcr it.

Hie writer las had considerable expeneocc of tin. natives, hating visited many of their sollloinenls in the lav norlh, the Waikato, en the East, on itlialf of flic Jbi'.ri Uighfs Co'iscrvation Agonal ion, •..nd now on the West C'oasi, a I'd he is constantly urging them c I'cryvt liere i.i continue in ngHatii!" bv ail lawful means 10.- the improvement ol tlii'ii- condition, both poh'i.ically and soeial.'y. Theiefore I K . is in intense, synipaihy with every j0,.-,! eifort of what may be called the Progressive Maori Parly,' hut he has V.ig ago convinced himself that if any progress is to be, achieved in the betterment of the Maori race, it must be by their own united efforts and not bv eveophantic adulation of a .Minister, ivhu has been weighed in Ihe balance ~n,\ found wanting for benevolent, legislation 'rom a (,'ovcrnineiit which lias pn.ced nothing on record so fur ( u prove ihetiiselves friends of the Maori race.