MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1938, Page 7

MAORI MEMORIES

SIR GEORGE ERRED.

(Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”)

Sir George Grey’s popularity with both races has certainly never been equalled by any governor or statesman, unless it may be challenged by that of Lord Bledisloe, who, however, had the advantage and co-operation of a perfectly natural little lady. Sir George made one serious error in his dealing with the Maori people, and that is seldom referred to, perhaps because of his discretion in every other difficult problem of those pioneer days, when danger and discord were on the verge, mainly due to our utter ignorance of their language, customs and sacred belief in the divinity of the- land. That one indiscretion was in revoking the wise law which prohibited the sale of firearms to the Maoris. Coupled with the grave fear that the great number of immigrants would take all their lands, was the depletion of their numbers by armed tribal slaughter. The only alternative seemed to be a general war against the pakeha with their own weapons.

The Governor, hoping to make them contented, opened up Maori schools, mainly to teach them to speak English —£7ooo a year for five years was devoted to this object. Another error of judgment was our own failure to learn their language. The Maoris then decided to have a King of their own, Wiremu Tamihana (William Thompson), this king-maker freely quoting our Bible in support of it. “Make us a King to judge us, like all the nations.” Had we then approved as we nominally have done in 1938. no harm and no war would have resulted.