RATANAISM.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19114, 24 September 1927, Page 8

RATANAISM.

TOO DRAMATIC TO LAST. SIR APIRANA NGATA'S VIEW. "We, of the Young Maori Party, do not identify ourselves with'the Batana movement, and it seems too dramatic to become a permanent influence,'' said Sir Apirana Ngata, M.P., when speaking of Batanism to a Press representa-,-ivc yesterday. Sis Apirana added that the movement was essentially a religious one, while the young Maoris concerned themselves with" the educational and cultural side of Maori progress. It had been authoritatively stated recently that tlie movement was not on the wane on the West Coast of "the North Island, but he thought it was not as powerful as fornierlv on the East Coast. The majority of the Maoris had commonsense enough to see that there was little in it for them.

"The economic depression has made Maoris in the North Island ftop and consider where they stand financially, with the result that many more are taking their coats olf to-day than ever before,"' said Sir Apirana Ngata in the course of conversation yesterday.

This had been a good thing for them in many respects, for they were beginning" to realise that their salvation was work.

' Speaking of Maori conditions generally Sir Apirana said the most recent movement among them in the north was the aggregation movement, where those who had common interests were league! together in sonic kind of order. Hence they were becoming more united and were working more in unison. The Native Land Court had done some hard work and most of the titles to the land

were now i*uite clear. The Maoris had given up all hope of ever regaining those lands lost by confiscation.