The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1926. FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 61, 13 March 1926, Page 8

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1926. FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance. For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Within the past few weeks there have come under public notice two experiments in literary work by New Zealand Etudents that appear to us to deserve more than casual attention. It may be as well to say at the outset that we are not now concerned, so much, with the literary merit or the scientific value of these productions, though that in itself seems to us very considerable. Our interest in them arises chiefly from the fact that they are the work of graduates of the New Zealand University, and ex-students of Auckland University College. This in itself is enough, ■Wβ think, to justify us in giving some public prominence to the work in question. But what renders them even more interesting is the fact that both these students, who worked and graduated at our University College, subsequently studied at British Universities, and have now utilised the knowledge and experience thus gained to conduct investigations into our past history or to discuss problems and questions intimately connected with the interests and the destiny of our own land.

We will refer first to the book entitled "New Zealand: Its Political Connection with Great. Britain," written by Miss Jessie Hetherington, M.A. This work is to be completed in two volumes, and the first volume, which lias recently appeared, provides ample evidence of the industry, enthusiasm, and ability of tHe author. Miss Hetherington came from the Thames to Auckland, graduated heTe, went Home to Girton, took Honours in the Law Tripos and Historical Tripos there, and received from Trinity College, Dublin, the SLA. degree conferred by it on qualified Oxford and Cambridge women. Since her return-to New Zealand Miss Hetherington has been engaged chiefly in teaching and lecturing at Victoria College, and has just been appointed to the post of Inspector of Secondary Schools in Wellington district. But in spite of- these preoccupations she has found time and energy to produce a substantial historical work dealing with a little-known portion of New Zealand history, and bearing every sign of intelligent study and arduous research. Among other interesting topics special attention is paid to the French attempts at annexation and colonisation, the efforts at control by New South Wale 3, and the period of violence and outrage -which preceded the independence of the young colony. The subsequent history of the settlement involves long and careful discussion of the relations between the New Zealand Company and the Government and the difficulties arising out of ■unscrupulous attempts to exploit the natives and their lands. This volume brings down the record to the close of Sir George Grey's first administration, and though many of the questions raised are still matters of controversy there can be no doubt about the honesty and sincerity of the writer, her extraordinary thoroughness and care, and the value of the very large mass of authentic information that she has compiled for future historians.

Our second topic is an article written for a special number of the "British Economic Journal" (January, 1926) by Mr. Baymond Firth, M.A. Like Miss Hetherington, Mr. Firth is an Aucklander, and an ex-student and graduate of our University College, though of a more recent date. He took: his M.A. degree as recently as 1923, writing for his Honours test..an economic, thesis on the kauri gum industry, which gained high praise, from.: the British examiner and was subsequently published here by the Department of Technology. Since then Mr. ' Firtfc" has' been studying Economics and Anthropology at-London University, and the article that he lias contributed to the "Economic : Journal , ' "on ■'■ "Some Features of Primitive Industry" deals with the. economic -and social system of the Maori." One notewortliy feature of the article is the fact that a substantial part of-the information on. Maori industries, Maori religion and ceremonial, and Maori economic habits and characteristics has ' been "personally -collected" "by "the author from Maori informants. This personal note invests -with peculiar, rinterest Mr. Firth's discussion of Maori tribal life, the so-called "Communism" of out native race, the nature and use of their tools, and the beating of religious > and tradi-

tionaL' influences^-upon :their, economic development. There is a freshness a,nd frankness about 'Mr; Firth's treatment of the subject, and especially. in his defence- of the. study ;of - "primitive economics," which:justifies the hope that lie will go' far" in -the line of .work" that he has taken iip; JBuVour chief purpose at .present is, to emphasise the interest and value that attaches, to. the "literary and" historical an 3: scientific - efforts- of graduates of .our University-College, who, having improved! their opportunities abroad to the best advantage,' turn back to New Zealand as an appropriate theme for investigation and research, and thus offer to their own ; homeland, "the fruits of their labours."