MAORI SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 72, 18 December 1907, Page 8

MAORI SOCIALISM.

DR. MASON AMONG THE NGATIPORAUS.

"A, MARVELLOUS EVE.OPIJNEK,:'

u lt was a'marvellous eye-opener to mo,"' $a.id tho "Chief Health Officer (Dr. 1 Mason) to a Dominion reporter.yesterday, in referring to his jiist-conip.leted trip through the. interesting' country of the Ngntiporan Natives', that'lies between Gisborrie ami ' tho'iEa-st Capo: Dr. Mason, who'was accompanied by Dr. Pomare and Mr. Ngata, '31.P.,; tells: na-what, appears to bo a veritable fairy-tale. " It is: successful Socialism or Communism,;' M'hich'e'vor you like. It has boon- trted' all over tho world, but 1 have never heard of' such success being achieved as I saw with' my own oyos. Between Tolago Bay and tho East Cape there are six largo Native-owned stations worked by Maoris exclusively on the most porfect system I have over seen. Apart, from wool-growing, these Maoris arc shearing their own sheep; and growing grain'arid vegetables iii'the. hnppiest communism'. ' " I saw one of-the up the; Coast that-1 have ever- seen, .with-no fewer than ten machines, going—worked by Maoris, 'who' tell-off .from ,120'.t0 150 a at. £1 a This work- falls to. tlio vigorous young men, but .the, older meii are engaged in road-making and lighter work, and oven tho old women, tako a hand in doing light scrub , work. The work, is apportioned out according to age and ability- and they all seem as jolly as sand-boys. They aro not 'paid the same—that'would be'too Socialistic —they aro paid, according to tho work' they do.; There- are too many, owners to the land, to individualise blocks, but the Value of each, person's claim is known,, and .on this the profit-sharing from tho stations.is based."' "How is.it managed?" ' . .• ; "Tlicy have appointed-an old man—l forget his name for the moment—to look after their affairs,, and. a very keen old man ho is, and-they have Mr. Ngata, and' Mr. Williams (of. the Coast) to advise them. Mr. Williams advanced the money ••• to the Natives that; is enabling thom to work their lands, an d ho_tak<Ss a lively-interest in their success. There, is no question—there yon see the Maori working out hi? working a pakeha. business on liiifes' considerably better than tho average pakeha farmer. ."Do you know what •'—they've got 125 miles of telephone fixed up to connect tho stations, and in the house where I was staying at Kakariki (near tho East Cape), thero was a room set' apart for a ' telephone exchange. "Tho villages or kaingas are a treat to ail the Maoris living in comfortable cottages mado from timber thov have felled themselves, and air kept, sweet and clean. The only exception to this rule are some, of the pakeha houses. I believe that many of the Maoris burned down their old places, and built new cottages on higher ground,,and everywhere I noticed that they were sleeping on beds, and not ; on the floor as is the accepted way in most : Native settlements. The sanitary arrabgenlents' were quite adequate. Indeed, they. are so. strict on the point that they havo bombined .together to j>ay a sanitary inspector, who is a Native. .He does his duty all right, tliough! " What they are asking for now -are doctors andf.nurses.' Tho one doctor up there cannot cover the ground, and they'want assistance: If. a: doctor .went - up, ' they would sSy ; ' There- is land for you'to biiild your bmise-Mt is yours,' and they would'pay. well.' They don't'ask things, for nothing." '