"CURSE OF RACE"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 137, 12 June 1945, Page 6

"CURSE OF RACE"

MAORIS AND LIQUOR

CLERGYMAN'S EVIDENCE

"Liquor has always been a problem among the Maoris —a problem in connection with their livelihood, in connection with their moral life, and in connection with their social welfare," said the Rev. Eruera Te Tuhi, ordained minister of the Methodist Church, in giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Licensing this morning.

Witness said he was now senior superintendent of Methodist Maori Missions. He was a member of the Ngapuhi tribe, but was not connected with any tribe interested directly in the King Country. He had, since 1938. travelled all over the North Island in the course of his work, which had taken him to many gatherings of Maoris, other than church meetings, and he had discussed with the Maoris their various problems. He had found strong drink to be a problem generally among the Maoris, and it had been much more evident in places where there were hotels. "There are times when I have found men hanging about the hotels and using up their money regardless of their responsibilities for their homes and wives and children," said witness. "Most of the troubles which come before the courts of law are fundamentally due to indulgence in strong drink," he added. "Social security has been a great blessing to the Maoris," he said. There were occasions, however, when very necessary assistance was abused, and although the number misusing social security funds was small in comparison with the number who were properly benefiting witness thought that steps to prevent the possibility of abuse should be safeguarded. King Country Better "Conditions generally in the King Country are better than in areas where there is liquor," witness continued. In other districts drink had got into the homes and home brew was also being made. Witness had seen liquor in bottles and barrels being brought into Maori meetings. Liquor had a bad effect on the native women and "a rotten influence" on the children. There were progressive and good-living Maoris, but there were also the indolent and lazy types. Witness agreed that housing, health and education were urgent matters connected with Maori life. Education was affected by drinking among Maori people, parents neglecting to send their. children to school. In some villages he had found a lot of liquor being consumed. Sly-grogging was evident in some districts. Witness had also seen Maori men serving beer from buckets, with children receiving a share. Asked regarding equality between the Maori and pakeha races, witness said his unbiased opinion was that too much had been made of the meeting held at Rotorua. The meeting had overlooked the fact that they were Maoris and could not belong to another race. Both Maoris and pakehas had different customs.

Mr. Te Tuhi said he would not favour an alteration in the law to allow Maori men to take liquor away from licensed premises or native women to have liquor. He did not know of any body of Maori opinion that would place Maori women on the same basis as pakeha women. Witness said that as a matter of etiquette he would not like to make any statement regarding the pact said to have been made in connection with liquor in the King Country, without first obtaining the consent of the people of the King Country, but he did know that the King Country Maoris did consider they had such a pledge. Favoured Restrictions To Mr. P. B. Cooke, K.C., representing the National Council of the Licensed Trade of New Zealand, witness said he was strongly in favour of the continuance of the present liquor restrictions on Maoris, and that 80 per cent of the Maoris of Taranaki, the King Country and the Waikato held the same view. Mr. Cooke: The committee appointed at the recent Rotorua conference was in favour of the removal of the present restrictions. Do you think that conference could be called representative of the Maori people? Witness: It was not representative. In the first place I understand there was only one Maori M.P. present, and the other people present were not fully representative. Witness agreed that even that conference did not suggest that the position regarding Maori women should be altered. Under the present restrictions, witness admitted, there was a diffi; culty in supplying liquor to Maori returned soldiers at combined pakehaMaori returned soldier functions held" off licensed premises. He thought the position could be met by the issue of a police permit to cover each such occasion.

Witness was strongly in support of Maori wardens to co-operate with hotelkeepers, and said he would give the wardens more authority. He thought restrictions similar to those in respect of Maoris should be imposed on Pacific Islanders in New Zealand. He understood they were protected in their own country. To a final question from Mr. Cooke, witness said he himself was a prohibitionist. Misuse, of • Social Security To Mr. J. D. Willis, counsel assisting the commission, witness said he thought there should be some system of checking up on those who misuse Social Security payments. He suggested the Government should give authority to leaders of tribal committees to act in this matter. "The same might be done for those pakehas who misuse the funds," he added.

Conditions in the King Country were better than those in areas where there were hotels. He could not altogether agree with the suggestion that Maoris from the King Country "flocked" over the border to hotels on the outskirts of the area. There were individual cases of Maoris being taken by pakehas to hotels. He had seen beer in the maraes and knew it was obtained from hotels. Witness said that drink was the curse of the Maoris and was dragging the race down. He urged that the Justice Department should strictly enforce the laws regarding the sale of liquor to Maoris "for the present good and future welfare of my people." . . To Mr. P. Malthus, witness said that the younger Maoris were generally in favour of the restrictions being removed, while the elder Maoris supported their retention, but he had always been happy to notice that the young people were willing to submit to the views of their elders. In answer to Mr. E. C. N. Robinson witness agreed it would be possible to use payment in kind by a coupon system where an individual abused ! Social Security, without offending the susceptibilities of the Maoris.