TE AUTE CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 133, 28 February 1908, Page 9

TE AUTE CONFERENCE.

l LANDLESS NATIVES. > J DEATH-lUTE DISCUSSED. i : n.i(BY;-TELIIGIIAriI-^riIESS.;ASSOCIATION. I : : , Auckland,. February 27. . - '.Tho' future of tho landless Natives was discussed- by tho To Ante Conference:-at Orakbi,' when Mr.\ W. Bancks, of To Kmti, , > 'in,' tiiorboiirsd .of.' a : 'paper- on . tho subject,. ;said/,that-the time ,had;now"'!romo:w^|thiß, i.' question was'askcdj bconi, or; is; : -boirig; done for tlio landless Maoris?';',. After. ■ 'long'years, of' studying tho Maori character - ;he was>iti ,'a' position to say-.that-,handicraft, ; was; the most- congenial work,for tile, Maori.;; ' His works- of old, such as canoe building,.-pa 'building, 1 carving,■> songs,-' etc.; showed- that: : he was a lover of tho beautiful, and also-a. ; hV.ndicraftsman.'-' Farming : was not a'cbn-' ■ genial'jivprk.Vfor. him., Tho ,best. thing .'to. do; ' '.was'.to placo the;.savr .aiid;Vthe.'.blacksmithjs': 'hammer: into his.hands,; and then he-would ■ 'soon', invent, things i which- he would- hp .proud : oft ,-'' If voveri iliO'failed -with,'-'the/.timber;from. : tlio-yard,- lie-could go.to the bush,: and .by : moans .of It-he: saw-pit obtain: what he i; wanted;:, i Ho' did not .mean .to. say (.that farming;,was ■not/suitable : for.'somo-Maoris, but ho did mot; agreewithi Mr.., jrgata's/idea! ofi adro- , 'eating <> farming as-/tho .-mbst.isuitablo ; occupation for tlio Maori;:;-, ' ;■ Conmienting on - tho.vpaperj,- (.Dr.f.,-/Buck; 'wished :to point .oiit::,that.', the Maori, by ■heredity, .had; as. miicli/ respect ..fori the,;land. as '.for manual labour. ,;.He quite i agreed; with.. .iheiSvritei;-that.the -Maori :was ; a. -.by-nature.-".-'V'-i-7-i', .. . Pino: Tamnhon eavp 'some; figures - to: give: ; 'theiiineibers''ah -.iaea' of, the; spread of tho .farming :;mbvemorit.- 'V-/Tliere''-.we're, '/he said, : . no■: fewer • than '22 ; fairly. l large Maori / sheep; stations on the " coast between ' Tokoiriaru? and iTo Araroa,: and-'foiir/'bf:;the woolsheds , had/the- latest : improved' shearing ■ : ;:.:,TJi'e.-/death-rat'oi;.of /Maori;.''infants/-: was. another subject of discussion-; at ; the,- con-:; •forence. ; A -paper, on ii' Infautile -.Mortality j ■was" read by Dr.' Te -Earigi Hiroa. v. Hp ro-: jgrettedt that, exact /statistics'' wore!'riot, avail-', .able,i'but 'frbrii'his' personal [ observation "ho: |knew ! that 'the .Maori 'infant' mortality ..was r very- high.. -Uiis ,was duo.'to>t-ho'Same/'<au'ges: :as-i with.,-; tho' vEuropeans;.', but /-toi'.an .even) •greater;' Extent. ;,/Boforo:-the.';arrival'!6f the• •.European the Maori- racci l :.At :.bhe: ; present ; day;i 'owjng :to: the 'clash between; ;the vtwo'.%stom\S) > ''t!lie' | Mabri'<[ha'dl:isufferey/-iii- ■ physique and health. s'Tfio/Mothers \ffid ! -not : 'have 'the'i'rflfiuJit jhealtli: i*6f Vtjlje,ir-'' t 1 i and, ;as> ■ a rdsult-,-;- their";" offspriiig : /suffered. , ThoMaori ■ .-mother- of •: old -. had only one i '•'ln'these ,; :days.: . there "Atas'TSOws*. 'ihilk,-/, tinned ; various -t-ilined • foods to; complicate /niatters.: '■If tho;.'Eiiroiieari : suffored 'as a/ result ;of; this: I'ignorance; in the -proper.'use: of.-' these'-alters; ;riate;?fo6dsj-; then': .the : :-Maori .(suffered] : 6till: .more.-.--:••; Excessive;'/cigarette-' jsirioking land; 'drinking ■-were;often - indulged in(diiring the', [period -, of suckling. ; Ignorance, ofproper- ' j clothing and hygiene helped to swell the : mortality-list-.■',-jHe--exhorted tlio Associationjtliat,' as - their ;aricestors'liad'handed together|ii'n^'timos ,goiie ,hy.: to . raise, men;ito /avenge' tnbal defeat, so they should/band : together-^'.to; 'raise'' 'a ; people'; /a. ', know-\ 1 leago of,; these matters to,-, avenge, the --.deaths' ithat- ignorance hod' Brought, upon' the race.',";! ■ Mr. J. Thornton referred -to tlio resolu- ' .tion passed .at-the last "conference, in .favour of the. employment of -Maori girls' as domestic ' isorvants, ni}d;agam-raiscd-th'e .quostiori:.Mr; ; ' i i • n V®? "Eo VtH© ! I^xperiiripjit','Jas; : a''whole, '/.though'tiiemam, : ■principle, of providing-another avenuelof em-, ; ;pioymbiit l/was; '.'cbulcl /see;,'grave ■ danger .unless, the girls'^were 'placed 'in gootl .Christian'.,households.; /.Dr.,, Saiigi !Hir'oa : .wa's; : .also: opposed -to: makingVeduc'ated ; •Hukarere; ■ and .' Victoria '■'Girls!; - CollegoV dor' , iniestic; servants/A'; He/objectetl :to.their being • madoMo- occupy .lowly positions in','European' households.' ..Tlio ■ -Re^/Mr.;.!J^aifliseiljSaid 1 'that 'the; '■ -.experiment 'thpsb, : wlib had drawii .up ,th'ei.resolutiori;had, qarcfullv guarded - against risk byi' specifyiiig the/.kiiid -of ; househpl(}. He; reforre'd ■to tho. steps jtaken.'.to- get; Native;.girls'' into serried' : at. Auckland... Great .interest, had' boen takon, . i,n-- the girls, ,who appeared very .pleased with; : their. surrouiHlings.; i,