DRINK IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4146, 23 June 1892, Page 2

DRINK IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Public Meeting in Masterton, 0 A Resolution of Protest A publio meeting was held iofla Masterton Presbyterian Ohuroh'iast ; (Wednesdny) evening. to emerapro« test against the reoent Government proclamation of a licensing area in \ the, King Country., About two mini dred persons were present; including a number of prominent Ne/wohiefs.' The ohair was ocoupied byvMr E. ■Holdaway, who opened the proceed- : jugs in the usual manner and called upon the Rev J. Dukes to address the meeting, The Bev Mr. Dukes, after a few introductory" remarks,' moved the followingresolrition■:— .. "This meeting having heard with muck regret that the 'proclamation which prohibited the sale of alcoholic liquors throughout the King Country *v bas been superseded by a proclamation dated April 14th, 1892, declaring a certain area in the King Country a licensing distriot, regards the proolai mation on acoount of its demoralisingeffeot upon the Natives, as a retrograde and disastrous procedure and an ominous preoedent,' Fina)'|Myt impossible to beliove that the Eflig Country Natives generally desire the proposed ohauge, this meeting appeals to the Hon J. IMlance to use his influence to revoke the reoent proolai mation," '.-.■: In moving the adoption of the resolution the rev gentleman stated that the northern border of the' King Country was about a hundred miles south of Auokhmd. The.country extended a hundred miles in length ' and was about fifty-five miles in breadth, ; BBtwe.ni twenty and thirty thousand Natives were affected by the recent proclamation of the Govern* ment. Otorobanga, the township most direotly affected, was about twenty mileß down the lino from Ta Awamutu. Half of the inhabitants were, he regretted to state, half-castes.-About L twelve mile's 'from Otorohanga were the beautiful Waitomo oaves, and it was urged by those who were applying for a license that a hotel at this plaoe would bo a great boon to the travelling publio, The King Country had been proclaimed a prohibition distriot by Sir William. Jervois, but this proolamatiyUiad been revoked by Sir James Psnaer» ■■ east, the Acting<Govorn(ir, at least so far as one acre of land was concerned, without taking the opinion of the country and the Ho'uso, The sale! of" drink in the King Country had been prohibited by the wish of the Natives, who had learned to loathe the traffic.' Ho had seen Natives at Alexandria carried home in carts in a state of- utter drunkenness. They were pitisole specimens of weak animalism. With the taking of the pledge by. King Tawhiao and, Wabanui a; revolution commenced, and hundreds of Natives took' the pledge, It was a mistake to think that Natives oould not keep the pledge—they wore quite as true to their colours as Europeans. Nothing, ha urged, was so destructive to the mental and physical faculties of the | Natives as strong drink, and this was: a good reason why the recent procla- | mation should not have been issued, If the Government wished to ex- ' terminate the' Natives and plaoe i Europeans on the land they occupy : let them say so (hear hear), ' To supersede tho original proclaim--1 tion by a proclamation tally nullified the first was a shame* | ful betrayal of trust. Whilst fourteen hundred persons had signed the petition for the original proclamation, ' only thirty had signed the latter, He 1 believed Europeans were at the < bottom of the whole thing. The ' Maoris would be a thonsaud times ', better if they were left freo from European contamination (hear, hear), i If Otorobango was going to beooraa 1 a European settlement, which would ' be in the very remote future, then | prohibition was the very best thing | they could have. The proposition to { introduce drink was a disgrace to the 1 Liberal Government. . If this was Liberalism, then he wished to ha«a nothing to do with it (hoar, hear), The present Ministry was the greatest beer-barrel combination which had been in existence. It was not a Liberal Ministry, because it pandered to. chiefs and ignored the Do-' mocracy. In conclusion hfrtated that any Ministry which woumlend 1 an ear to a petition such as that re- > cently presented should bo hurled i from office (applause). Mr Duncan M'Gregor seconded the I resolution,. He thought the thanks ' of tho meeting were due to the Rev 1 Mr Dukes for the light ho had thrown upon tho subject (applause) Ho came to the meeting because he loved the Maoris, nho were one of the finest races in oxis* tence. The Natives were no doubt diminishing in numbers, but this was due in a large measure to drink being placed iu their way. He believed that the recent proclamation 'had been brought about by land jobbery and / corruption. It was a crying shame that they should force drink upon the Natives when they were hostile to it. (Applause). - He trusted the Govern* ment would-speedily-revoke their proclamation. (Applause),

Mr Martin (a Native obief) hate ascended the platform and stated that he was pleased to see 80 many present at the meeting. Ho hoped Golwould bless them in their offortsJHJa agreed with tho meeting that'there should be no drink in the Wajkatp; (Applaußo).

. Rbody Thompson (also a Nativo) staled he was glad to hear the Chairman speak out like be had, He believed tlie drink was the ruin of tibe people und hoped it would no'jrfPtatraduced to the Wajkato, The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.; The Rev. R.'Wood then moved, " That a copy of the above resolution be forwarded to the Premier and Mr HoggyM.H.R,'.', It was quito clear, he said, tbat there was a traitor, or traitors, to the Maori race in the King Country, It was high time for men and women to raise a loud voice against the iniquity proposed (hear, hear,) Mr Thomas Dixon seconded the resolution. Heboid tbat whilst accommodation might be necessary at Otqrohanga, ; a. drinking bar was not required for tourist 9 or travellers, He thought tbat if the had been done away with in the Wain rarapa there would be no necessity to Crej|a ! p ! 6 , p^ib^Bp i (h|ar,'|eaji'.j •-•' , i l '.'The fiheirmkn'saio^e: unddrsjood that the definition of a Liberal was the" right' to - dq : riglit;!!' -As ttie gt'&nting'of.a. .license 1 ; in... the' King' pountrj? was'wiroiigj it could' hot 1 ' bo tho'kotiqn of a true'Liberal-Govern-. men|, ' ■■■- '' • '^rjfamesMcGregor tlipugl}t tho, action, of the present meeting was an expelleiiji one,' aud he ■' ibf r resolutionsiwonld haveobnsiderablj;.

weight with the Government (heat, bear). What they wanted and were | striving for was the total prohibition and annihilation of tho drink traffic (Applause.) The resolution was then put and oarried unanimously, and (lie prou, ceedinge terminated with votes of tbanks to the Chairman and the Bev. J. Dukes.