IMPROVEMENT OF THE NATIVE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 78, 22 September 1911, Page 6

IMPROVEMENT OF THE NATIVE

BREAKING UP KAIXGAS. At Wednesday's meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board a letter was read from the Hon. 0. Samuel, acknowledging receipt of a letter from the Board with copy of a resolution in favor of legislation with a view to natives who reside in large kaingas dispersing and living separately, and also suggesting that tangis should be restricted or done away with altogether. He agreed with the Board that the natives would be far healthier if they would lea-ve their villages and live on "lands allotted to them and 'individualised,' and also that they would be better off in all respects if they would cease to waste their means and expose themselves to conditions hurtful to health and morals when celebrating the obsequies of their dead. The Board would jio doubt, however, have seen that there were difficulties in legislating effectively for the Maoris in both respects. The Maori prizes as much as does the pakeha those opportunities for social intercourse and amusement which dwellers in towns and villages enjoy. 'ln'his case, iis well as in that of the pakeha, it was .very much to be regretted'that rural life should be so unattractive in these respects as compared with urban life; but the fact existed, and the rapid increase of the population of the towns in proportion to that of the Dominion as a whole was for every reason to be deplored, and no effort should .be spared to check the evil. As in the case of the European, so in that, of the Maori, every assistance should be given, to those willing to do so, to quit the towns and reside "on the land," and inducements should be given to those who were fitted for country life to do this, and financial aid should be forthcoming with no grudging hiunl for this purpose. It was a pitv (though it is after all only natural) that there should be such a desire on the part of town-dwellers to increase the population of their town, for in the best interest of the Dominion it would be far better if its people were more evenly distributed and its towns were, smaller. -The Board's rccommenda- , lions as respecting the natives, as to individualising their lands and giving them financial aid to settle on them, appeared to be excellent, and to be capable of adoption. As respects tangis, it would never do to prevent the Maori from expressing his sorrow in his own fashion when lamenting the death of his relatives, or even to prescribe rules for such ceremonies other than we would ourselves be prepared to submit to. But wastefulness should bo discouraged, and conduct detrimental to health or good morals should be effectually prevented. We should help the Maori to learn, as we ourselves are doing, to act prudently and intelligently, so as to minimise the evils of the crowding of comparatively large numbers in small spaces. and to prevent the demonstrations of! sorrow for the dead from becoming a source of evil to the living. The Hon. ] Mr. Samuel had waited until he could ■ secure an interview with the Native I Minister on the subject, and was. now pleased to be able to assure the Board that he highly appreciated the Board's consideration of, and care *for, the natives resident in its district, and its desire to improve their condition. He hoped to be able to take such steps as would, bring about an improvement in both respects dealt with in the Board's resolution. I

Letters of "support worn also received fi'om Messrs H. Okey and W. T. Jennings, M.P.'s. The chairman said that Hon. Samuel had written a very encouraging letter in appreciation of the policy of the Board, and the fact that he had written such a letter showed that he took considerable interest in the matter. He; considered that the Board should not pay any attention to outside inlltienee or let any discouragement dampen them, but prosecute the matter thoroughly. These kaingas must be broken up. The more one got into contact with the natives the more one felt that it was in the best interests not only of the natives, but also of the people who live near them that these kaingas should be broken up. Mr. McDonald: H will be a hard matter to break them up. |

The chairman said that if they persisted they would ultimately succeed, lie was convinced that it would he in the best interests of the whole district if the kaingas. and especially Parihaka, where no one was in charge and which was practically a fester spot, were done away with,

Mr. Mclteynolds said that according to the papers Parihaka was deserted, but not a mouth ago he paid a visit there and saw three or four new buildings in course of erection.

Mr. Tate said that he considered the time was opportune to discuss the abolition of langis. as the younger natives did not view them very favorably. It was resolved to' write anil thank the lion. Samuel and Messrs Okev and Jennings for the interest evinced in the matter.