WORK OR DIE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 560, 15 July 1909, Page 6

WORK OR DIE.

THE FUTTJBE OF "THE >. MAORI

V.'■'. . (By iTolegraph—Pross'AßSoriation.). .'; ;.y:" ; ;' .-'. •..,■. Auckland, /July 14. ; '-'(Fusion-or no fusion,'', Baid-Mr.;...C;; J. Parr (chairman of the v Education Board),', referring -today, to ,'the Hon.. A. .1.. Ngata's remarks on the aims of the Young Maori Party, "the.'salvation'of the Maori lies in work. ;'■ As to - a fusion of blood- ;by intermarriage, I think such a .possibility ..is remote. The product of inter-racial marriages has not.: always proved satisfactory -either from- the point of view of•'■ physique, or char-acter-and morality. The children of • such marriages often possess' the : vices of both races, and very little of the-virtues of either of them. My humble opinion- of the Maori, as one who has grown .up alongside him in this country, is: that his only salvation _ is 'plenty Tof hard work. : The only justification for the future existeuce of the Maori is that he should be made to work. How. much.better it would be-for the Maori if. instead'of sitting down and drawing, rents, he had, like the pakeha, toearn his bread by,the sweat of hiß: browv, The.State should encourage the Maoris ■to become, - not only farmers, i but artisans; 'They have unmistakable mechanical tendencies, and when they are compelled to work toget their bread there are no better workers; If tho Maori has no desire like other races to work for his bread,, then lot him die .out, the sooner .the better.' If work is the policy of the Young Maori, Party then I quite sympathise'with;them.; -1 think that' sufficient land ought: to ■ be kept for the Maori to farm himself, ■ and that the balance should be sold, the • proceeds to be •: placed in the''hands of -the; Public- Trustee with power :tb - expend it for the benefit • of - the Slaori's' family, in educating them, in training' them,for their life's work, and in keeping them in sickness, -and so preventing them' becoming a burden on the State."