KING COUNTRY LICENSES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 209, 3 September 1900, Page 8

KING COUNTRY LICENSES.

A MAORI DEPUTATION TO THE

PREMIER.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

A deputation of Maoris, including Te Heuheu Tukino, of Taupo, H. *M. Hetit Matengeo, Kahu, Huatata and Moerua, interviewed the Premier at noon, and urged the granting of licenses in the King Country. Mr Lang, M.H.1.., introduced the deputation. Air HeKe was also present. Mr Lang briefly explained the object of the deputation. Mr Heke said Te Heuheu holds large interests in the King Country. Tne others were chiefs and prominent men.

Te Heuheu said the deputation desired licensed houses to be established in the King Country. On a former occasion, when the elder chiefs met Sir IS. Stout, they desired that tlie sale of alcohol and the purchase of native lands in the King Country should be abolished, fearing intemperance might induce the natives to sacrifice their lands. The sale of native lauds was not prohibited, sly-grog selling had increased, and many persons had been imprisoned for breaches cf the law. During fourteen years unsuccessful elf oris had been made to suppress liquor traffic. Prohibition tempted young people to taste the forbidden fruit. "At the licensed house at Tokano there was less drunkenness than in tbe King Country. Sly grog selling prevented proper control. The Premier asked Te Heuheu whether the proposals he submitted were the result of honest conviction.

The chief replied yes. They were the result of his experience. He had not been influenced by any European. He was a temperate man, but believed it would be in the best interests of the race that licenses should be granted. He approved of the proposal to leave the granting of licenses to a committee in each village. At present selfelected Maori councils punished drunkenness. The places he suggested for licensed houses were Otorohonga, Te Kuiti, Poroteranga (tunnel), and Hetit.

Hetit said under the present system hardly a fourth of the sly grog sellers were detected and punished. He urged that residents of the district ought to be allowed to decide the question of licenses irrespective of outside opinions. One evil result, of sly grog selling was the supply of inferior liquor. # . Replying to the Premier, Hetit said he approved of control by village committees. Licensed houses at Mokau and Kawhia would assist chiefs to suppress sly grog selling. The imprisonment oi chiefs tended to weaken their mana.

Moerua supported the request. He said the stigma was cast on the chiefs through obtaining liquor by stealth. He honestly believed the restrictions on the sale of liquor in the King Country should be removed. It would lessen drinking. Kahit Huatere (Wahanui's brother) supported the granting of licenses to Maoris as well as Europeans. Before Wahanui's death he favoured licenses. He believed if the chiefs were consulted or the votes of the natives taken, it would result in favour of licensing. By permission of the Premier, the Rev" Isitt interrogated the" last1- speaker, who said when the Rev. Gittos saw Wahanui.the latter was not sane.