SAVE THE MAORI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 228, 1 October 1897, Page 8

SAVE THE MAORI.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — The novice in last night's "Star" that Mr F. Lawry was to ask the Minister of Justice to authorise hotels at Otorohanga and Te Kuiti, while not a surprise, as the liquor party will endeavour it) some way to recoup their heavy expenditure of December last, should arouse public sentiment in protest. One feels ashamed at any professed liberal proving so recreant to liberal principles. This same representative, a few years back had no protest to make against government by Orders in Council; there is no 1 rusting the people, in that method. Nations claiming to be civilised have for some time past recognized their responsibilities to protect the native races from the curse of alcohol. At the Brussels African Conference, 17 Powers were represented, and adopted stringent rules, over a zone something like one-fifth of the globe: Absolute prohibition (a) where the trade has not yet penetrated; (b) where the religious belief of the people is against it, even if the. trade has already penetrated there; (c) compulsory duty where the trade exists.

Prior to that, agreement, the. Lambeth Conference recommended it and said: "It is grievous that it. should be possible to say, with any most distant resemblance of truth, that it would be better for native races that Christian nations should never come into contact with them at all."

What is our responsibility? The Maoris are the most noble of the native races that we have been brought into contact with.

At their unanimous request, some years since ,the Government agreed that their country should be for ever free from the drink curse.

We profess to revere the memory of Sir George Grey, we ought to do so in very deed and truth.

Do we forget that at the Kawau, Sir George and Tawhiao, the then Maori king, together signed the pledge and donned the blue ribbon, that they might help to save the Maori people. Are we prepared, simply to satisfy the greed of some traders, to ruin the remnant of the noble Maoris, or whatf is equal to it, allow it to be done.

For it is the Maori's land .that is the goal. We ought to feel the deepest humiliation that the Maoris propose to visit the Queen to beseech her to use her influence that they may retain the lands now theirs, but which they feel may sooner or later be stolen from them.

If the love of gain has not robbed us of our honour, we are bound to protect the. natives from the drink curse.

What is required is that section 33 should be made to apply to the King Country, then the difficulty could be dealt With at this end of the line, the most important point. If it is urged that the people living in the district should settle the question, so be it. Then enfranchise the adult Maoris, and if a three-fifths majority of natives and Europeans so emphatically ask for a reversion of the present policy, it must be. accepted. But by special bits by Orders in Council, never! If there is a cause that the heading of your paper covers, surely it is this. I trust you will respond to the call.—l am ,etc, X, French. September 30, 1897.