THE YOUNG MAORI PARTY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 14

THE YOUNG MAORI PARTY

(By C- A. Yotoo.) Some misundorstajiding oxists as to tho origin and constitution of what is called tho Young Maori party. This parly is supposed to represent tho educated youth of tho Maori raoo. This it does not do.' But it does represent the success or othcrniso of tho system of cdnoation approved and encouraged by Government at tho Native Bchcols, and at tho, Missionary Nntivo schools of llib Anglican Chnroh, such aa thoso at To Auto, near Hastings, and St. Stephen's, Auckland. Lot us consider this question.

Tho; ;prlgin of,, tho Young; Maori •Party.;,, ;, . rMore' than thirty .years-ago. (in 1878), when tho educational usefulness: of To Aute Native School/had/;'for ; ;^ Archdeacon-/Samuel '•• {'Williams,/ • who.;''bad identified -himself -so : rauoh with the; missionary.', education/of-'-tho /Native, face,/secured the .'services -and! able profos'sibhal/assistanco of Mr.' John' Thornton, ,as .headmaster.'•'/ Tho idea.'.witti iwhich.the new;headmaster appears to 'havo i set:' out /with .was, to .-provido. tho Maori,youtli with'-on opportunity to qualify f or'ths- learned professions,- and generally' to uplift tho Native race;.a. truly humane and philanthropicV idea;" Hope .was in .tho asoondj ant,"and l»iluro : was not dreamed of, and so, after i'.'time'(lßßS); every-student was educated/to.: face tho. .university :■ matriculation examination,'',, '• During : ;■' these/ '.tliirfcy '■ years inoro,than'-fiye(hundred .youths: havo passed under tho headmaster's; hands—;the". pick of nil /the/.Goverrimpnt/'aiid -of 'the// Anglican' Church-Missionary ' sclibols-j-and'/thosb, r who 'have;.-succeedod in;assimilating;ah'university 'oducation/can/be; counted, en tho- fingers of one, hand//. Much attention'was.paid, to thoir religiousTeducation;, but;little', or; 'none .to, technical! and manucl training./• Tho many; were! sacrificed'to itho;fowj everything .Maori ~wasnto/bb; oliminated,;;. : and.,.' ..these' .youths ;15urop'eaui.sed..in 6ne;.'goneratidn—a 'hopeless taslc;v-:No.' provision': wasVjinado /for /thoso who' fell r by : the ■ way. •' Out,of : - the: bountiful provision, madoior, general education, in,the .'shape";of-'sobm)'-7000, acres'.'•'• of'■':'; rich'land, granted'by tho Governor,. Sir Georgo Grey,' and;.the .local Maoris, no nrovi.sion, was mado to utilise tho. many' who fell out .'in: the; raco for ;,the" -university; by" educating/':, them ..;,in agrioult'uroj.Ur, acknowledge.-of .tho 'manual crafts/'-. It' ~ foreseen 1 that sov.manyj would ;fall;/bui'"''it inight havo |beo'nforeseenfthat' of•:'tho/. l few : -who/attained success:and; became lawyers .and /,:'doctor's, i the.pakeha' femininow'ould havononb.of the latter, aiidthb pakelia masculino none of the former.; 1 whilo the -Maori/would'■ only' accept 'thb'vconimunistic'i Bdfvlco.'-.bf either—without payment. -Cy;;■;?•:' LY'-'h'. ;,/.'/::';'.;-/ ; v ,-.■•'";.'.'■

Government, Adopts tho Young Maori Party. '•' In thiß'slress of.tho the Govern-' ment,vin',tho : .porsoh';.of..'th© Native.Minister, camp, toVthb/roscuev. .Indeed.': Government em-.plbyment-^aV.a^.brigh'tlight", uVthovda-rk\'at-traots. Botha—beoani<j ; ;tho attraction 'andu'n..' centive' ta; : .all-;thbso'.,:young lads'v educated' ; under' this vsectarian, system■:of Government education; which/ also; until quite; recently, madb'no-.attempt to to .;• utilise-tho Viand-of his. inheritance, .or .to .onablo ! lwm'to,'earn ; his own living'as -a. crafts-, man.'/ Eighteen' years after tho advent of- tho, ■ headmaster- (iri;;lßS6), \Tp Auto. .'Collceb/Students';. As'sooiatiom.was; formed, which 1 isf.n'bw :knon'n./ is itho-.Young-; Maori;party,:;tho v 'ob-; ' jects'.of ::;wliichi.' w*re-.in', every; way .commend-. >b!e.-. ,v.;Sq. '■ niuch;'theri^i'dr ; \Hio v origm;of>tho. 'Young -havo'vrepeatedly/' stated '-'on public : ;platfbrnis their, ;lbadHh'eir-; ;alp*ng:' <'bf;' progress';, iri ■ ciyilis'citipn,' hand'j'p^hnndAltli'jtneir.ip'akclia-friends. 1 :.. •!.'.lJet;us';con'side.r^ ;!-■ Spealiin g -,' atj-' a-V 'No-jiiciiiEO.. demon-stratioh recently; •'■•• xjtyfJ ChristchurchT'- '■' the;-;.-. Anglican |||(e-.-;lWy:j'F.r;Be'n-' isi't;;-,said :;':^ ;^';ban v itivesi-':VWitU v jiftß)i':'liko tHbiHbh. /AV-T/ Ngatd ; jWjas; no'-easyVniatter .fori''thi?fNativ?B to.-giyo. '. up''- their; IreprsseritatiVcs.';;'- ; botfer-, tbaii^DVper.cerit/pf, thS p.akejia.r'mem--bbrsi''-*; This gentleman is ;aWofc'.thp.(Young ;Mabn : 'provq;neht.;of::jtho; moral j-Vsocial, 'a.ri,d;ppKtica] conditionr:pfi;thcir 'i-'ielh>w';\ c'ountrymeh--all . mcbriisisteßbyJinvopnosing ! tho-'improvement ;ia ;tllo;- s&iaK and^pblitieal; status r.'pf./thfe. 'Maori. .wltichViYb.uld :^cnainlyi 'r<?sult: wore nil \sw>cial ■Natiyb!;iegielatioii;'re#Mo'd,-';aridi"tho' Maori permitted;.torstand'.forth;;as: sub-. .'jc^j;'.'-;(wit)i... : :e(jyil 'right3^iindrr' : similar,(b-ws' :asl!']ii;i/Ipakelia;:riw^^1pakelia ; :riw^^ Young Maorfy'party .'to; moke?. .'Vibatytho •time, has., .'caption';; thirteen"' yeara! agp.?.-;,; :^^';Sf? i ;?iC-: 'Raclaj^Com^rlMns,-;;; 1 , ';■ r.Tlioi'-natiyp'.' pride: of,■' tho.. reverend gentlomanVtathercarries .liim-iaway/J and -ho. .would; .ba';'Tyisb:t-p : ;av,oidL;.aU .racial-'comparisons,. \s, .un'fp'riuna.toly,Vtbore.arb'.ahd ; .will;be quite ihcrcaJjing j.hiimbqlr ; of,', suflh "■ -'comparison's -put ' forward ..by'; tho".' ipakoia::;/,-:'';.-: >V'vi : :..;; -, f,- -,;-;

' parij£Poili(osV;& ;%s:£ o^' : - : - .'■ a°,;'(;' ,;--.tbr(sUnntely,;fbr \his>-;raco( ;^tte';' reverend gontlbmani.appeai'B. s'o'Jfa'r vto,have, remained otitaido ..'.thp"; r ;apihnih' : ."-'of-"-'pqlitics4?'. :'^R r batiaFbri' infhiencb;tho other lcadprs of t.hq party 'might havb;ttequir6d:in.',educating:their; pooplo; had ih'ey,(rbmajhod ;lye6tf^est''^fo^.-:ff(int'''■ , bf^iudei>c'ndMt' 1 -'.'■afltion:■ Likb( Lazarus 'of old, they, sit 'expectant of : :'tho crumbs ;whioh; fall/from: tho'rich man's table. 1 :'(Thair inspirations, oven their, iiiclinatioiiaj: must remain, subservient'to the: politics of-.tho. political.party they '..have, attached themselves to. and their, sphere of usefulness to .thbirtpebplo is; minimised thereby. caso.in point, it -may bb. ..mentioned .' that, about (th.o'.tinie(:tho reverend gentleman (\vrts ■dembnatratirig ,in ; favour ofA.'No'rliiconsa' in ''CliristeKurohr:hft!.6oiifr6rqß,- i lho-Hoh/-'A':.'.'-T.'-' Ngata; ; and.Teßaugihirpa,(wero i; silent ;•«. ■Parliament; while! the, pakoha' inrand out of Parliament;, was drawing public;attention to fchb shameful way in which the Government had ratently'brbkcn (faithwith"thp 1 .Maoris,: in' .permitting lipensea. to:be tlio sale, ;of jliqiidr-. in'tho King Country.,'. '}:>' --(-.

(Lb(St?6p|)Ortunltlas.y (v(. o^ ; :; ; ; (/' V ...;(';;"(-■( ..;^' ;V\Withbut -'goiug-irito.: the '•;-,political (.arena.. ''•there, was - a .largo field ! :ih which they might; havo;produced 'great rbsults.(.:,They-(/might■ ha've;unit«d'. their pe'oplp in a( racial union, whenithe'power-of:(unity(would hayb.'com-' bj,anded respect.' "In suoh a ''combination every Morf for 'the moral and, social (uplifting : of their pooplo'"vrould h'avo(had(immedmte offcot; As' it is,"their;'people'!retqairi'in.ignorance,; •ahd'aro suffering froth'wasted oppbrtuniti'en, neglected 1 by (those who profess,'to.lead .them. .Muoh'has been expected of thoso'(enthu'siastio, ;youhg;i)eoplo in the way of helping .to;sottle their, pebplb . upon.;their jlands, Cbut,, as will hero bo.seen, thby'really-,havo(iittio power to influcnoo trioir raco- in: stioh.matters aa thp disposal; of (their';. land.; After ■ thirteen. years; the infliibhcb of tho, party.m's littlo, felt beyond tho; East; Coast,- whero.it emanated,' and evwi(thbrb - the(Hau. Hau and Mormon'. .sects .aro (inoreasing in; numbers,, and .'bo . Govbrnmont. Nbtivo-schools .are, ..being., shu't up ;in.opijositibh; ; - I'hbn: thcro ..has been u wherb(a smouldering discontent cxists.'conso; .((iiont on thp Unjustand iniquitous';' ; misappro-. priation by the Goyernnient of the land C!rpwn granted/to tho loyal-Nativos.wW'fought; on onr-sido during tho -wars... -Again,-last year ;■ Tbhndietl, tlioyo'.wos a(Ereat;pppor,tiihiW'for 'Ibo Youhg'.Mabri party, also neglected. Have tho loaders-over'considered .tlie'great disadvaSitagos the Maoris.'on. tho long WcstCoast suffer under in' the paucity of Nativo schools there ? AVhat; a travesty, what a, satirb' bit morality, what a pulling of political strings to,mako'tho.moral plntituclos;'bf-tho.Younp Maori party ...subservient to the. exigencies of Vi political party >aB seen in "(reriioying .Te I ltangihiroa. (Dr. P. H.,Duck) from bis sphere of usefulness as■ Health (Officer for the I Maoris 'to tho: dummy' position; of v a Maori merobar of; Piirliamonfc., .Here'is a Nativo ;of Draniii—a .West' .Coast. Maori—well'acquainted withCtho mnny ; grievances-of'.'his people thbrb,' n fit and proper. candidate to oust' the sitting '-member!-for' tho"'AVostftrn Maoris District, if morality and tho ; uplifting of tiio Maori race wore to havo any bonsidora,Jaoal , Bat .why. ooatJaue?. Cafortuaataly

thoro have been many such wasted opportu; nitics, and all who wish well to tho Maori raco must deplore this inherent weakness of thoir character, which makes them as clay in tho Hands of tho potter'; a people without tho faculty of combination, a pcoplo without a leador, distracted by tribal divisions and rival schemes. ■ ■ ." ■ Abolishing all special Native legislation, and bringing tho Maoris in evory respect under tho samo laws as tho pakchas, would shed-'a wonderful educational light upon tho Nativo raco, and if their leaders were wiso thoy would avail themselves of ovcry opportunity of' advocating instead of opposing such a chango in tho social status of the Maori; for tho timo is fast approaching when it will bo too late. In connection with this, tho writer recalls that whon this question was boing. considered at tho Maori Congress in Wellington last year, tho leador of tho Young Maori party, tho Hon. A. T. Ngatn, 'opposed.'any- change in Parliamentary representation, after tho Nativo Minister liad almost. offered to plaoo tho Maoris on tho samo.Parliamentary roil as the pakeba. 'A possiblo explanation of this apparent inconsistency may bo found in a desiro to.maintain the segregation of tho Maoris as a race, and'certainly tho avowed land policy of their leaders, suggests' such an explanation;'but, however dcsirablo'this may bo, to every ;.Btu : . "dent of history it is clearly, impossible. \ -■;

The RlslngTido ef Discontent.; '■:" \ > As a warning, but with'tho greatest re-, luctanco, tho writer draws .-attention to tho 'racial feeling fast developing into an activo force in ,Taranakij .tho King Country, and throughout the/ Auckland ..Province, which is being intensified by ; tho . present Govern-ment's-vacillating Nativo land policy. This is a fact which any. intelligent traveller ■ interested in this question may/obscrvo . for himself, and which tho newspapers'of'-tho north havo for some timo past been giving voice to. 'It is clearly to 1 tho interest of the Maori and pakcha aliko that. both races should be brought,under tho samo laws, and Abetter, this should bo done at onco, than wait ; until, angry /footings aro excited. /At present tho Maorils possession of much land, makes him .a potontial power in- tho land, and; therefore, his vote exorcised _ under tho same "laws jas the pakeha would insure himboing treated with respect, but in a littlo time longer, when'his land' has been frittered away ,by' tho ivarious: processes so wellknown to tho/Nativo-Affairs Department, and the Maori is left with'-only, the rem-, nants/of his -land—well, let tho intelligent Anglo-Saxomlook abroad in the world; where his raco has subjeotod a nativo race, for tho 'logidal ..mis'ivcr ,to. this statement. It may •bo said'tho/Maoris are a superior race. This is readily granted by tho writer—although it micht bo advanced, that this admission apE' lied more in tho past than in tho present , nse —but ,I)oVvcntnros fb assort th.it this will only- bo (jenernlly and freely: granted so long' as, the Native dooshot como in sharp opposition to-hi3-pakeha friend./,,'-/

Other influences, Mako for Good: \' - ; '.VAs has beon'saidi'tbb' objeot-s of,tho Young Maori'party, wore jri every way .commendabloi -but from thoiinherent of tho race thoy have failed.tomako,tlteir influence - felt in any:, apprebiabk .degree.,'' Other influences though'have beenat work; and are succeeding—viz,, the 'missionary , churches;association with palceha neighbours j, tho ad-ministr'ation-of: pakoha laws tp tho Maori:, tho influence of .their hercditry - chiefs, such .08-.Tupu-',Taraßaknwa,:To'::Hcu : .,-Heu,--.ond, .'ethers, who discourago .intemperance;.-.. tho 'incroasiug -,numbeT being converted -Mormon missionarios,:who insist-upon-absti-:nohco from indnlgcnco in alcohol, and ;to-. baccoi'.alEo.- a great educational •.'force- has -been tho .Native Health Department, under Dr; Pomaro; and last.; though not least,, tho liuflu'oncp..of tbo:•teachers -of : the .Native ;schools. r ,;' ;;■';-;,: ■'-'': ■■ -;';:''' " ' iput of -Touch with tho OldorjConoratlon. , ■", : : : ,Tho' weakness of ,thb - party r'lie's;. .iri :their dassoeiation. from tho, elder-irien■ of .tho rtcc, -while 'they- themselves-buzz, within ;tho,'arc1": : Tho:;ono absprbim sulS]efeoi ; -intorbslJ!^tlie : •to Pbtainaand i.cbntrpl.'Hhp idif.pos.il- of.-.his. 'land.'and'&thoiYoung'Mapr.i patty-has.iden, tificd: -itself ■ with.'Hho., Native ■•iland jpolicy-^of. the'present Gbvernment,-it JiasiConKqUontly -littlefbri- ho"-' ■tlm.rgreat- bulk of : thcracb.' ■ land, themselves .■they. liave'no ma'na'. ; Had theii.Jeadors taken tho :edUchtiori thoy .havo; acquired i;among;v.thcir people,"'and have'preached 'the doctrinei.,otprogress, J unde"r : tho'pakeha law,\iliStcad:of being content > with -.circulating,.-parngraplin ■among : .th'o. ; pala-ha,nowsphpers, thero;, Would not factions with impossible' schemes' of. land; settlement, .such 'as' ; .wo-.'sooin;JMahuta's:aiid:Kaih.iu'3 Utopian sclibmo ■-fpr: : the ; gatliering; of ,;tho;, A\ aokato nnd King Ooimtr.y.Mnoris.at-Ngaruawahia: : -Tb Hou obu'a s'ohemb,- of ,'i'separato. [ tribal rin-hfa around Lake Taiipo ;-Pepeno Ekctonc s land sottlemcnt scheme foivhiavjlaniapptos; ' aad honest old ;Tupu; 'raingaka\va's; whemo. :for his • people cultivating thbir. lands withbnt.tho intervention' bf...tho : Maori. Land Board. Poor'; peeplol--Almost; interesling a'ntl'.lovablo'racc, but:wliose. progress;towards •civilisation, is: "retarded'- by: tribal '/'distractions :-andf'superstitious:bustbuis'.'. They, are-nbout tbb only deehdent race. in 'history which has not 'produced ;a'-,'leader strong i.nnd popular, onough' to -iimtaoall' discordant elements into ono :ofgauised effort."....Nevertheless.; ,-thcir: progress -thus, far-.has. beeiiitruly and would havobberi greater 'had; the' Gbyornliient.years.agp,settled, thera,upon.their own, lands.; :'v : , :.-/V<-' ;i :''-.. : ,-;;/. '• "--'vir-:"-'.'-'/- '.;; ;; ''-■-.

nosunia. ' ; -"( ,'.-;/._': :i -.;,'-.-J.: , ' : :"-.-;-"-.-.' ; i f . ; v:.■■ : -':;'"-'' ; .. 4 :.' (;' The. apparent, result then is thai the Government has educated these youths, who. form the Young Maori party, and has to provide them with occupation and employment. They have boon spoon-fed, and have none of them yet; however capftblo, : struck out' for. thorn-, selves to mako a name or gain fame by their own ' unaided efforts. The Government of tho day has called them into being, is leading them (along ,by: tho hand, with that .Government, they will fall, and: when . that day comes—and como jt^must—those young 'men; will'; perhaps'.'.'.see'!, tho folly of having- put all their eggs' into.bno, basket, alid regret form'a Young Maori;party free; and independent of either of the rival pakeha' political parties. .Mr. Thornton's ' idea ' of thus uplifting tkb' Maori race -by, means of its young mou was a fiho conception; and i had'-tho Native land question been settled previous to its ihcoptioh,; and tho Maoris onjbyod equal civic rights, there iB no' reason to. doubt- but that; it- would hayo succeeded. ,1" conclusion, lot it be said, this is no attempt to. discourage, but rather to 'point out (to ..tho, '.Young' Maori party, Mir what (they- may bo said to have. failed, with the hope; they, may yot bo nblo;. to gather into association able representatives of all the- tribes,; irrespective of. religious creeds, end (political parties, and- to ostablish :thcir party on a ; platform;of;indor<endence.' ■