BROADCASTS IN MAORI

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 409, 24 April 1947, Page 5

BROADCASTS IN MAORI

Sir,-I was greatly interested in the letter from my friend in spirit, Bishop Bennett, on the above subject. I think my friend has mislaid his steering paddle, and the canoe has drifted into the backwater of material broadcasts, instead of remaining on the greater waters of spiritual broadcasts. Some time ago I suggested through your columns that the Council of Churches try to increase religious broadcasts in Maori. I scan the weekly programmes, but find nothing done. All I find is a weekly broadcast on world affairs. What about the heavenly news? I contend that our Maori people need at least one religious period per week. To give them world news on a Sunday is quite wrong. Let them have it during the week, and a religious broadcast on Sundays. It is not unusual for two services a Sunday to be given by the same denomination. Chop one out, and give it to our Maori people. The neglect of the spiritual needs of the Maori is no credit to the Pakeha. Will the Bishop use his great mana towards this end?

A. P.

GODBER

Silverstream)

Sir,-May I be allowed to congratulate Bishop Bennett on ‘his recent letter "Broadcasts jin Maori." I am sure he has voiced the views of the majority of our Maori people. From 9.20 to 9.30. is far too short a session for a weekly ,news transmission to the whole Maori race, We all look forward to hearing the session and I am sure were we allowed at least half an hour we would be very grateful. The Pakeha have their news sessions several times a day and every day of the week almost; why can’t we Maoris also? As Bishop Bennett says, there are bound to be difficulties, but I feel that in the interests of the Maori listeners, and they are numerous, we should have a better news service.

W.

B.C.

(Kutarere).

Sir,-May I endorse the remarks of Bishop Bennett. We, the Pakeha race, talk about equality of the people, and yet we can only allow the Maori: 20 minutes of all the time spent on broadcasting. Their singing is second to none, and a session of a few hours a week could be very instructive as well as entertaining. Let us give men like the Bishop and the Rev. Wi Huata some practical help. They are trying to hold the traditions of their race together under great difficulty and, speaking from experience, no Pakeha would go short of hospitality from these men. So what about more help and less criticism.

PAKEHA

MAORI

(Rotorua),

Sir,-I would like to support Bishop Bennett’s plea for more frequent broadcasts of news in Maori. The twenty minutes on Sunday night is hardly sufficient to coyer strictly Maori news, apart from news of world interest. Maoris are very interested in world news, and there is still a large section of the Maori population that can better understand what is put in their own tongue: and ‘there is still the minority that cannot understand English, Twenty minutes a week is a very small crumb from the rich man’s table and hardly an adequate recognition that there are two races in *New Zealand. I think it is a subject that merits discussion. Personally I feel

that in general there has been insufficient attempt to explain things to the Maori, whether with regard to Native Land Development, health politics or many of the other things that seriously concern him to-day. This failure to explain cannot but interfere with the smooth running of helpful schemes for improvement. Could not the ‘radio be made use of to make up for this deficiency? Could not half an hour a day, at least, be allowed, for news and a short talk on some relevant topic?

J.

D.

(Okato).