MAORI V. EUROPEAN SHEARERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3507, 3 October 1882, Page 3

MAORI V. EUROPEAN SHEARERS.

fTo thb Editor of the Daily Telegbaph.] Sir, — Your correspondent " Sheep Farmer " the other evening gave what he considers a weighty reason why Maori shearers are preferred to Europeans when he says that the former can be depended on to be on the ground when wanted, and that European shearers, not being settled in the district, cannot be depended on to be on the spot when the shed starts. I defy any of the few runholders in this county who employ whites to ehear for them to say that this is the result of their experience. Whoever has told " Sheep Farmer " this has misinformed him. He cannot say that he "himself has experienced it, for he has taken good care that for twenty-one years he has never given white men a chance. The chief reasons why Maoris are preferred by runholders (and it is noticeable that these latter are all or nearly all grey-haired men) are these. The grey-haired ones entertain some vague notions that to keep white labourers as much as possible in subjection is the right and proper thing to do. They are of opinion that more can be got out of Maoris than whites ; that their food can be " chucked " to them in a rougher fashion. And to find another reafon we would have to go back to a time when Europeans of both sexes were not so plentiful as at present. However, there are worse fellows than " Sheep Farmer," for if he cannot give us his shesp to shear he can give good advice. He would have " the young men in the numerous small farm settlements learn to shear." Does he not know that white boys will not be employed as fleece pickers except in the few sheds opened to white men ? And the proprietors of these, with a few honourable exceptions, cut the price down. European shearers do not grudge the Maoris a fair share, not even half of the shearing, but when they come to monopolise four-fifths of it, and religiously avoid any other kind of hard work, it amounts to a grievance, and, like other grievances, it will in time be remedied. It is well known that email sheep farmers do not employ Maoris out of proportion to the population. The sheep runs are too big. In the Australian colonies shearing time is looked forward to hopefully and with pleasure by all classes. Here it is ushered in with disappointment and discontent. Whenever England goes to war we hear a great deal about harbor defences, &c. I am sure that if ever a hostile force means to land in Hawke's Bay the best month they could select would be October.—l am, &c, European. Waipawa, October 2nd, 1882.