REPORT OF WORK AMONG MAORIS.

White Ribbon, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1 May 1895, Page 5

REPORT OF WORK AMONG MAORIS.

On July 30, 1894, a drawingroom meeting was held at Mrs lialcombe-Brown’s, Wellington, to inaugurate, under the auspices of the W.C.T.U,, this department of work. The Rev S. H. Sprott presided, and Te Heu Heu, the influentail Maori chief, addressed the meeting, advocating temperance, and welcoming me and those associated with me in the work. Mr Hone Heke, M.H R., also said a few words on behalf of the work ; also Mr A. R. Atkinson and other leading temperance

people. Miss Kirk’s short address was listened to with much interest, and Mrs Plimmer’s questions elicited some interesting information. I gave an account of work already done at Levin, and the work proposed and plans for carrying out this mission were discussed. Since then much has been accomplished My letter to the Maori women on temperance and their enfranchisement was translated in Maori and 500 copies printed and circulated amongst them all over this North Island (and some since to Nelson and Hokitika). I also designed pledge cards, with allegorical picture and appropriate texts in Maori, and had 500 printed. Te Hc.u Ileus speech was also printed, Bibles, Testaments, prayer hooks, and hymn hooks in Maori have been purchased and distributed among the natives, and as they are quite destitute of any literature whatever, these gifts of books and tracts in Maori were received by them with expressions of gratitude and pleasure. Twelve local Unions have been written to and asked to start a work among Maoris, to which appeal only five have as yet responded To these I have sent parcels of tracts and pledge cards in Maori. Maoris at Petone, Pororua, Waikanae, Manakau, Levin, Horow’henua, Paroutawha, Whangahu, Puiiki, Aramoho, and Pipiriki have been visited My letter to the Maori women was distributed at all the stopping places up the Whanganui river. Major Kemp and his daughter Victoria signed the pledge cards. The latter promised to form a branch Union, of which she would be president. She has also obtained several signatures to the pledge cards. The number of Maoris who have signed from all the above places is seventy-nine ; number of Testaments distributed, seventy; books —“ More about Jesus,” illustrated—forty ; temperance and other tracts, over 800.

I was told by Tamihana Kauwhata that my letter to the Maori women and pledge cards were received by some of the Waikato women at King Tawahoa’s funeral with great enthusiasm. J have to record with gratitude the kindness of the Countess of Glasgow in expressing her interest in and sympathy with this work.

Also to acknowledge, with thanks, a grant from the Justice Department of 50 copies of Mr J. Pope’s valuable hook in Maori eutitled “ Health for the Maori ” : dealing with sanitary temperance and other important subjects Also a gift from Mr James Cappen, of Wellington, of 500 Gospel tracts in Maori, nearly all of which have been distributed and much appreciated by the Maoris. I have also to acknowledge a gift of £1 from the Union at Hokitika, and to thank the Honorary Secretary, Miss Jack, for her kind and sympathetic letter, which greatly helped and cheered me. —. Hewitt, Superintendent of Department.