THE MAORI FARMER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9550, 23 July 1909, Page 3

THE MAORI FARMER.

GOSPEL OF WORK. "A great advance has been made by the Maoris in "many directions during the past few years," said Dr. Buck, M.P. for the Northern District, to an Auckland "Herald" representative. "Through the instrumentality of the Health Department in ipromoting sanitation and the work of the Maori Councils the conditions of living throughout the Maori villages have considerably improved, and the Maoris are beginning to realise that the keynote of progress lies in working the laud. You can understand that in the case of the Maoris, with totally different customs and ideals, they naturally look upon this question from a very different standpoint from the Europeans. The development of the native lands strikes the European as the obvious and only solution of the Maori problem, but it was not so obvious to the Maori. Now, however, the Maoris are beginning to look at matters differently. They are beginning to see that their future welfare lies in work and in developing their lands, which I consider is a great advance. What the Yuung Maori party Bays is that the Maori must work, and that he must work on his own land, but the means ana methods by which this is to be accomplished 'have not yet been considered by the party, as it has really not had the time. That really devolves upon the politicians. My own opinion is that the first use of much of the Maori lands should be devoted for tfie benefit of the £Maori, | that is, that he should be trained Ito become a farmer, and that the opportunity should toe given to him first to work his lands. Then, if it is found that the Maori has more land than he can work, it remains to be considered what to do with it. No one realises mort than myself that if the Maori does not work he will degenerate."