LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 31, 26 June 1914, Page 4

LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY.

NOT WANTED BY THE MAORIS. By Telegraph—Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. At the evening session of the New Zealand Alliance Congress), the question o f liquor in the King Country was rawed. Moerua, a chief, of Te Kuiti, and o family connection of the Great Whaka nni, gave an address by the aid of an interpreter, which evoked great enthusiasm. He s-aid he was chairman of the committee set up in 1900 jointly by the 'Government and the Maoris, which was strongly in favor of the prohibition. From that day no Maori had asked for the .removal of the prohibition. He said he had heard of some of the white men wanting liquor, but of the -2000 Maoris in the King Country not more than ten of them wanted liquor bars. Oit. behalf of the Maori children, the chief made an appeal to the.Christian ministers to fight alcdhol. After discussion, it was decided "That this' conference has heard with great pleasure the address of the Chief Mocnua on the matter of the proposal to remove the prohibition of the sale of liquor in tihe King Country, and is ghul to have the assurance that 'such a proposal is strongly opposed to the wish of mil but a very few of the Maoris in that district. This congress pledges itself to do all in its power to prevent the breaking down of a restriction that io so urgently called for in the best interests of both Maoris and Europeans."