THE POLYNESIAN RACE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1921, Page 5

THE POLYNESIAN RACE.

A FASCINATING STUDY. NEW PLYMOUTH SOCIETY. Efforts made in research work, concerning the ancient history and traditions of the native race, were reviewed at the annual meeting of the Polynesian Society, .held yesterday in the Hempton Hall, Carnegie Library, New Plymouth. There was a good attendance of members, Mr. S. Percy Smith (president) occupying the chair. The tw r enty-eighth annual report mentioned that the society was founded in January, 1892, and shortly reviewed the aims of the organisation, summarising the successful work of the society during the last year. The of the society was stated in the report as “the preservation of all that can be ascertained of the ancient history, traditions, manners and customs and languages of the Polynesian race, one of the most interesting and most ancient of all (what may be termed) the barbarous peoples of the Earth.” We may certainly look back with some amount of pride (the report states) on the work accomplished during the past twenty-nine years, as represented by the twenty-nine volumes of our quarterly journal, in which are recorded for future students a large amount of original matter that, but for our efforts, would have been loS\ to the world fdjr ever. The founders of the society were actuated largely by the idea that we—the white branch of the Caucasian race —owed a debt to the other—the brown branch of the same race—to ensure that, so far as possible, a record of the latter branch should be preserved for the future. And, so far as the means at our disposal have allowed, we believe we have, to a certain extent, been successful. The full appreciation of what has been done remains "for later generations, and. the time will come when a genius will arise, who will, largely through our efforts, complete the solution of the question of the origin of the Polynesian race, more completely than we, who are involved in a sea of detail, can attempt at present.

The record of the white race in the South Seas is but brief; at most, some two centuries; and that has not always been to our credit in dealing with our brown brethren. We, therefore, have to look to the latter people to furnish us with the most imporlaiVt branc(h of knowledge, which leads directly up to the love of country on which patriotism is based. It is the noble history of that little island in the Antipodes, of our Pacific home, that induces its patriotism. While we share in that glorious past of our own race, it is our duty to add to it another chapter, by inducing the love of our Southern homes which can only arise through a knowledge of its history, by the association of its local tradition with every spot, every mountain, river and plain. This feeling will arise more and more as time goes on; and we are very glad to notice that the younger generation of the present day is showing more and more interest in the association. The report, reviewing the operations of the year, stated that the journal had appeared regularly and contained some 242 pages. The library continued to grow, largely due to the liberality of the societies with which exchange was made, and especially was this the case with the American institutions. The exchanges were not confined to ethnology, for most of the sciences were represented in the library. The library in the Hempton room ‘was open to the public on two afternoons in the week, and last year there were about 300 visitors. On some subjects the society’s library was probably as good as any in the Dominion, and visitors were welcomed. The report recorded with regret the death of four members, including Mr. W. T. Birch, an original member of the society, of whom there were now only 18 members left on the roll. The membership as at December 31 last totalled 216. In financial matters the society had a satisfactory year, the period closing with a credit balance of £5O 10s 9d in the general account, and £lBl Os 3d in the capital account.