DRINKING BY MAORIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 67, 21 March 1938, Page 8

DRINKING BY MAORIS.

HIS EXCELLENCY'S WARNING. SCENE AT NGARUAWAHIA. Anyone who had listened at the pa Ngaruawahia to the Governor-General, Lord Gal way, warning the Maoris on Friday against the evils of excessive drinking would not have needed to go further than the main street of the town the next day to see how welltimed that warning wae. The Saturday was the occasion of tho regatta and from early afternoon until after six o'clock the main street was thronged with Maoris more or less drunk—and thronged not only with Maoris, it might be added. The position grew worse ae the afternoon wore on until at six o'clock, when the hotels closed, it wae actually difficult to walk along certain parts of the pavement. Apart from the fact that the majority of those on the footpath had obviously been drinking the crowd wae orderly enough, but it was hardly the best: aspect of Maori character to put before the very large crowd of Europeans in the town for that one day. Group" of young Maoris, young women as well ae young men, were walking more or less i unsteadily up and down the street, and to make matters worse, Tain had by that time begun to fall, and some of them had neither overeoat nor any coat at all. Some of the Maori giris could not have been more than 17 or 18 years old, younger if anything. There were a larger crowd of Maoris in Ngaruawahia on the day than usual because of the great occasion at the pa. On the Friday the Governor-General had opened the new hoiiec of the Maori King, Koroki, and some 5000 Maoris from all parts of the Dominion had congregated. It wae at hie welcome on the marae that, he had referred to the evils of drinking. Those who were at the pa on Friday must have compared the scene on' the marae then with that on the main street of the town the next day. At the pa, everything spoke ef dignity, proud tradition, and of inspiration for the future of the people. It was a great occasion, one on which history wae made, and everything there was in keeping wittt the greatness of the occasion. The great crowd there to welcome the official party was orderly. There wae never a sound as hie Excellency spoke, and all the best in Maori custom was uppermost: One had the impression that a people which could create a house as magnificent ae Te Mahina-a-rangi and Turongo could have only a bright future. There was never an unseemly incident within the pa for the whole time the hui was in progress, and , everyone will appreciate what that meant when 5000 people were living in close proximity. One reason wae that the entry.of liquor - into the pa is absolutely forbidden by Te Puea Herangi, wlioee word is law. The concerts and the dances held in the evening in the dining-room were models iof good taste and good behaviour. The scene was a little different outside the I —