MORONISM AMONGST THE MAORIS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 613, 16 September 1909, Page 4

MORONISM AMONGST THE MAORIS.

i J „'Ff& -k"'r lo -? ro -'ijnterested in the uplift ing of the Natives will have read, with rcfrrei m your ast issue of. .thai 6prflad ot u .jjonnS amo.pt the l? , n It is a.: well-liaoir" fSt ffl i l ™ .sect have had a -deba"n ; effect upon, its. adherents in the Western Sht" o America,.and, it is!to bo feared, the result « II bo equally, disastrous in New. Zealand The,question arises, who is-to blame for the propagation;of this' faith?.\ Chiefly, the Gov ernraent., Mormon Eiders from America aw beink employed in the Native scho*l™ngh out tho;lengf.|i and.brcadth of the land IK ohildrcn their ..tenets; and are conducting re™; , .1",: services.in, many,of. the,pas; and thu .. treading, their faith •' It woufr b'e interesting fcwSte 110 w BI *W-- Bf i\ ch £ nchors «e British" subjects... If .anything like .tho same percentage of,Boinan Catholic teachers ; were employed fn the..Gpwrnmont-Native schools, as ftere aw Mormons, there,woud.. bo a general outcry rom tho : Protestant element in this Domin on :.I agree with Dr; Pomare' that the .Native clergy .do not recevo a living wage. .Thov can jrn' P °^a y ' k " p bod £ s°«V together on JM or per year... But whose-fauft is this? J, ty.Mrwiais .certainly contribute mrie-tenths of the-XGO or-i6O -( por. year{ let the Maoris themselves; nut. their haiffls in ..their, pockets • [ il?„ raako the .sJ'.Pends of their clergy up to .400 a year.. This is an easy solution of the aiUiculty. ! ■ ■ 'Speaking generally, • the Maori, clcrgv are a poor lpt. - .Most of themdo very little more than -conduct the! Sunday, services-some oven less ihan .that,. In my opinion, thev are.edu. oated on wrong lines.',. -Nearly all those with whom I have come in contact belong to the old stamp_ of clergy, ■ who". imagine that tho whole,of their work consists in conducting two services on a Sunday. So few seem to have any idea of following in tho footsteps of the Master, who went about doing good." No wonder their peoplor.ro carried away wfth overy, blast of false doctrine. . ' Very little improvement can bo expected l in the, Maori- Mission until tho,Maori clergv are trained, for their,work on more definite 'lilies, and are taught'tho : whole Gospel of our Lord and ..Saviour Jesus .Christ.—l am, etc., ■•■-.■••.■ .-A",PRIBNp' ; OP/-i i HE'.'-jiA6EIS.;'-