HOME MISSIONARY WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 291, 3 December 1908, Page 3

HOME MISSIONARY WORK.

AMONG TIIE MAORIS AND u^iIEUS. INTH^XINoTjMiSKVA-no.NS. The second public function in connection with the meeting of tiic Wiimj'.iluii Metnodist Synod took tlie form 01 it home mission meeting m the W Uiwl s j hull last uigat. J.cv, C. li. Reccru-., president of the msu'ict, preside;!, aim rultrred to Ule extent of the home missions, lauding the work a iut scu sacrifice of the men who uictu'd to carry the gospel teaching to the .uawi.aud to the backblot-ks settlers of tins province. .Missionary speeches were delivered by Revs. Hammond and Huiidon, and Messrs. \\ i Kaitara and C. 3. Stewart.

Rev. T. G. Hammond said lie want«.l to say something that would leave on tile minds of his hearers the hrm* con vietion that tiie gospel of Jesus C'hrU had not lost the power that it possess ed ia the days ui tlie apostles, tnai it had the same trausloriiniig power us m the days of John Wesley, and as in the days when the first missionaries! came to this land. He did not like do mg it, but he had to refer to his ow,i woik on this coast. When he came hue some 21 years ago he came to tlie people who lmd been engaged in one of tile most bloody and protracted ana cruel wars that any people had evr passed througu, and it iiad left bitterness, prejudice, and soreness aiuoa'Nt the peoples. iY the European feit a sting as he thought of the loss of iioins and loved ones, iiow much more bitter the Maori. He thought of the 'iimvpean who had not only fought aifamsi them, killed them, and beaten them, but had also taken their lands, it was a mistake to think that the Maori dii, not value his land. The contrary was the case, very much so. He remembered iiow the Maoris at Okaiawa, at

the conclusion of a Native Land Court which had decided to sell sonic of the Maoris' lands, had met at night and set up a wailing—a tangi for the loss of land, and forest, and stream, that had come down to them from the .reneritions past. And all these had bee:i gncji in exchange for a comparaliveiv small sum of money which a few day's later was spent—he would not snv how It was spent. Not only was the' laiu of the Maoris confiscated, but the confiscation was carried out in a very irritating fashion. The Government toU the Maoris that certain lands would be reserved to the Maoris, under Crown grant for them and their heirs for ev-vr. But soon the Maoris discovered that the Government was leasing these lands and doing as they liked with them, without reference to the native owners. When the speaker came to Patea the Government was actually allowing the lessees to forfeit their leasjs, and they were being submitted to arbi tration with a proposal for cxtensiu of the leases for 30 years, whether chu Maoris liked it or not. The Maoris took a case to the Supreme Court and upset that, but they did not forget what they considered was another at-

tempt to rob them. in addition tJ these things, tliey must remember that at that time tlie "prophets" Te Whiti and Xohii at Parihaka were at the zenith of their power, aud ttic Maoris of the coast were largely dominated by these two men, whose influence was thrown against the law, tli6 government, and the religion of Jesus Christ. | In addition to all these things they iiad the most cursed drink trade that ever blighted people under heaven. "Tie election is now over," said Mr Hammond, " and oh, how they did lie. How they lied all along about the King Country. They had said that the state of attain in the Kiag Country, a Mo-license area, was worse than anywhere else iu Jtew Zealand. It wasn't hall as bad as the drink traffic on this coast in those days under license. At the tangis he had had to deal with men and women who were maudlin drunk. How was a man, apart from the power of God, to deal witn that? His own people, his own churcU, looked on and wondered why more was not done. But now a better stale o: things was quickly coming about. Very many of those people who had been U the outset the most bloodthirsty ana the most drunken opponents, had been converted, and many had died iii the full assurance of the faitli by the help of God. Who had put it into the late llr. Seddon's heart to prohibit the sal'.i of liquor to_Maori women V If any niao said " prohibition does not prohibr.. let them look at the conditions now and contrast tliem with the days in which there was no such prohibition. Of course, some of the Maori women still got drink; but who could stop woman from getting drink if she wauled drink? Who had put it into the hearts of 11 •

members of Parliament of New Zealand to pass a law prohibiting the whoiesai • supply of liquor to .Maoris'; The mu'i who said prohibition did not prohibit should contrast the condition of things now with the condition of things m, those days when the good European n:ca sold to the Maoris 20 or 30 hogsheads of beer for a tangi. There 'n-.ni bv.'.i a mighty change, and he thanked (jVil for it. In those days there waa searccly a place that lie could go Ul on Sundays and expect to be well re.

ceived. lie was not a man who would staud insolence or curses from a European, but no one but his God knew t is bitter things and curses that had t;ceu hurled at him by the Maoris of this, coast. Those days had passed away, however, and now from the l'augitiuei to WhitcclilTs he experienced nothing but the kindliest treatment, even at Parihaka, the citadel of the former prophets. (The liev. Hammond directly responsible for the passing of the legislation preventing tile supply of liquor to Maori Women and at tangis.— Editor.) But the battle was not y;t won. Patience and tac-l were needed as much now as ever i,i dealing with the Maoris. He was hopeful for tin' future. The Maori was turning to work, beginning to milk. That was work tint he had never expected tlic Maori won!., settle down t.,. A good deal had been said lately about the dairy regulations, but let hi'ill say that the Maori fanners i had carried them out, having put down concrete floors in their cowsheds, eonstrutted the required " races," and so on. A Maori had said to him recently, " I see now. This is the thing—work. If the Maori doesn't work, lie must di;. And if lie doesn't work, lie deserves to

die." Bev. Hammond referred to tin work of the two deaconesses who had been -placed by Conference aniong-t the Maoris. He'had not-been enamoured of the proposal to appoint them to this work, but lie must say that they were doing well, and the-result of their labours was proving a ygreat blessing among the people. The work progressing. Congregations were oeing formed everywhere. Everything wis coming the right way, but time must bp given. He had lately moved from Patea to Opunnke, and was now labouring amon'gst the natives who had be:ii mrthest removed from the church's «- men and women, Maori anil half-caste, and 110 man could have a happier miuistrv than to work amongst them. llev. Hammond then interpreted an address given by Mr. \V i Kaitara, his successor at Paiea, who stated that it was one of his ancestors who brought the sainted Rev. Marsden aa missionary

to Now- Zealand. Rev. Robert lladdon s|>oke at length of tile "rent advancement of Christian it v amoiigst tl'" Maoris of tills distriet, and referred in most gratifying terms to the work of the two deaconesses amongst the Maori women, lie dealt with the cause of the bitterness former Iv existing between Maori and pakeha, and traced its gradual disappearance The •need of the Maori was a little help from the Pakel.a, who could not c*iv mat" the value which the Maori placed I 11,1011 a friendly salutation from his

white brother. Mr (' \ Stewart, w*sionary, 'dwelt upon his experiences of life and teaching ill the back-blocks, and blamed the churches for baying so long ne«lecVvil the. pioneers whom love arid ,Iv bad sent into the bush. He touched upon the -Sabbath and said there was little wondei that ( day was spent in work and sport when many of the young people i»« 111>v er been given an opportunity of I spending it in Christian wrslnp. (Wo purpose tlie»e luldie.. sis in full in to-morrows issue.) '.WSSWWB The meeting concluded witli the DoxO ln«v and the benediction.