MAORIS AND DRINK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 243, 11 October 1916, Page 8

MAORIS AND DRINK.

STARTLING- STOKBB. (Special to "B**! , .") WELLINGTON, TuMlqj>. The unpleasant stories that here faaa teaching Wellington lately coscenrinr the abuse of liquor by the native* oiTS East Coast received startling confinna. tion from a deputation of Anglitti clergymen that -waited upon the-Eoti? William Fraser and the Hon. G. ; f.tV: ! Russell-in Giebome last iweek. ~Tli ; . trouble, of course, is not a new one.:" From the very earliest daye of European settlement-down-to the present.time tie; Maori's addiction to strong drink hu '■ been one of the gravest obstacles to his progress--along-the path to civilisation. ( But it was comparatively -1 recent developments, of the evil that the deputation brought under the notfee>bf the Ministers. One reverend gentleman told of a tangi at which ten cues of whisky, 'had, been consumed in the conne of a day'br two. "He ha| seen young V Maori girls fifteen yeare of age lying in a state .jpf almost nudity dead "drunk. ' ■Not only "the" Maori men and -women were drinking, but the little boys ,»n4; girls as well. The continuance of-thi§ ; sort 6f thirig would mean the'epeedy " destruction of the race." Other clergy-• men? including Archdeacon Williams and a native" missioner,made similar «tatementej and Mr. Fraser and Mr. RuweuV well may have-expressed themselves v shocked by tie revelations. PROHIBITION THAT FAILS. V It' Jβ disquieting to learn from «ucn unbiased 'witnesses as ..the members of',-&' the deputation appear to have been teatsome of the. worst of. the orgies they mentioned, to the Ministers bad occurred in prohibition districts where the Maorfe ; by t>heir own votes had made it a penal offence to supply .liquor .to a member of their race. Archdeacon William thought the chief cause of the trouble was the defective law which,.-while,pro-viding penalties for the .person who tap plied tbe liquor, provided none for'tfhe "'■'' Maori who. had it in his possession. Tie Maori Councils also had been very lax in the discharge of their duties.' -Many of them, exist.only on paper, and exereiae no sort of control over the communities they are. supposed to represent, witw theY result .that . they have been rather.-a hindrance than a help towards goal: government. .Mr. Russell, speaking par- \ ticularly in his capacity of Minister, of- : Health, assured the members of the deputation that their rc-presentatioiu would receive his prompt and earnest.;;; attention. He had not been altogether ignorant of what 'was going' on;; and already he 'had sought the assistance of tbe Minister "of Justice and the Attor-ney-General in bringing about § r better state-of affairs. Like Archdeacon Williams, he did not regard prohibition.ai a panacea for all the evils' that beset mankind, but -where it had been adopted it ought to (be enforced by every means within the command of the law.' .A-» member of tile deputation, writing froe Giebome, .sayevthat the' lpcal -people interesting' themselves in this inu»tter< -• have, been much encouraged-by Mr. Saasell's attitude, towards their (appeal-- ;V