LAND AND LIQUOR

Evening Star, Issue 14534, 9 December 1910, Page 1

LAND AND LIQUOR

A BISHOP AMONG THE MAOBIS. [£raciAt, TO the Stau.] CHRISTCHURCH, December 9. Bishcp Averill, who is visiting Christ« church, gave a reporter an slntcment in regard to bis experience of Maoris in the diocese of Waiapu. Speaking of native lands, he said that it seemed to be a great mistake to pay direct to the Maoris the money due to them. In most cases, when money was obtained in thaiway, it was simply squandered, and boll'. money ;md land were lost to the Maoris., It would be much better for the Govemmtnt to try to tind some means of investing the moneys. The question was a very diJueuH one. The :\Jaoris owned vas areas cf land. He was greatly at the extend of the Maori lands in hit diocese. There was ;i marked tendency for them to get rid of the properties, ami if the money was handed over to tbeni it would eventually lead to the establishment of a race of paupers. He was told that, at Whakatane some time ago, .wheii a munoer of Maoris received their shara of money from the block sold by ltua, the* went into the shops with stuns up to £5rC and purchased all sorts of utterly useless articles, many of which were not worUt more than threepence. The manager of .1 bank told him that some of the Maori* were induced to place the money in bank* on fixed deposit. In a few days they wished to withdraw it, and were as disappointed as they were surprised when they learned that it had been locked up for twelve months. They could not realiEa that the kindest act had been dans towards (hem. There was iw doubt that so met!] im,' must be done to the land. At preset]' it was blocking progress in lliafc part of the Dominion. In se./iie districts the Maoris were farming, and were- farm* ing very well, but a great deal of the land was useless. The problem w;« to turf it lo profitable use, and to ytctect th« Maori owners. The recent law in Hit direction of restricting the areas cf different classes of land a European might leas* from the, Maoris he wa3 afraid wJuld not prove very satisfactory. Earopeans wb< bad leased Maori lands for many yearf would net be able to continue their leases. The result in some cases would bo dkas* tious. The elfects would be especially marked on the East Coast, where large blocks were held by the 'Williams family with great advantage- The Maoris had no truer friend than Mr J. S. Williams, who Jived at Karati. If he had to learve the district it would be a very serious loss tc the Maoris and the East Coast, and i', seemed to be impossible for him to retail! his .Maori leases under the present law, Mr Williams was really a father to hundreds of Maoris. He was their banker and their agent, and he taught them all they knew of farming, and transacted, all their business affairs. He. seemed to bo fairly certain that the. Maoris on the whole would not farm properly. He had passed through miles upon miles of Maori lands which had not been developed, buf which could be developed if it was cuL livated in accordance with modern ideas.

As to the Maoris aDd the licensing laws) Bishop Averill said that he was pleased t note that the Government had decided t give '.he Maoris an oppoituuity to xot againtt Ji'juor being supplied to the race. I: wa.« (jiiiio right to give them a voice on the question. The Jeaders, on the whole were opposed to the use of liquor.