MAORI CHARACTERISTICS.

Evening Star, Issue 14575, 25 May 1911, Page 1

MAORI CHARACTERISTICS.

DISCUSSED IN COURT. f.SrECIAL TO THE STAB.] AUCKLAND. May 24. An interesting feature of Maori charaeteristics was discussed at the Auckland •Supreme Court this morning in connection with the sentencing of two young prisoners —Charles Kiwi Wilkinson (a half-caste .Maori) and William Boyd—on charges of forging and uttering and conspiring to obtain money by fraud, the forgeries being upon accounts in the Bank of New Zealand, in which Wilkinson was employed. Mr Earl appeared for Wilkinson, and Mr Lundon for Boyd. Mt Earl submitted, as mitigating circumstances, that Wilkinson, who was only eighteen years of age, was a half caste by birth, but wholly a Maori in upbringing and education, having been living as a European for some two years past. He was the son of a gentleman who held an honorable position in tho Civil Servioe, ajid who, up to the time of his death a few years ago, was one of the oldest members of the- Government Service. This gentleman formed an alliance with a Maori woman of rank, and did his best to give the prisoner a good education, so that ultimately lie would be translated into a European. At a .school the boy showed promise, and on the death of the father the two guardians appointed decided to proceed with his education. For two years he received tuition in a commercial college at Auckland, and then secured a position with the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Ear.' drew attention to the great disadvantages under which the boy labored in being translated to a position for which the traditions of his race unfitted him. It was a lamentable tiling that the boy committed the offence within a few months of his employment, but it showed that when a Maori was suddenly taken away from Maoridom he was under dLsadvantages in withstanding the stress and temptations of city life. As a rule the Maori was given to "enow," and to personal conceit and vanity, and that was the prisoner's weakness. He was not addicted to gambling, drinking, or evil living, and the hereditary weakness of the race had led the boy into his present trouble. Counsel stated that Wilkinson had made a full confession, and had it not been for that it was probable a conviction would never have been recorded. Counsel suggested that tho boy had been handled by someone older than himself. "In thi? rase, 1 ' proceeded Mr Earl, "an experiment was made by the father to make this boy a pakeha, and it wa.s carried on by two of the fathers best friends, but it had lamentably failed, and it was a matter for consideration whether it wae a proper thing to transplant from Maori customs a youth of this class to a position in a bank among associates who were from rich families with good clothes, all going to amusements and recreations.*' Counsel mentioned that the. mother had been greatly distressed at the crime, and had gone back to her people in the King Country, and she wanted to take her son back to Maori life with her. In replying to Mr Earl's statement relative to the native race, Mr Tole pointed out that millions of pounds had been and were beini; spent on the Maoris, who were being uplifted. His Honor: I airree with Mr Earl that Maoris are rarely fitted for town life. Mr Tole mentioned that Maoris and halfcastes were employed in various branches of the public service, and were working admirably and honestly. Tie condition of ii;e race a'ns b'.mg- impi.vred. His Honor: Still for the present generation ther are more fitted for fanning or country life than for town life. Mr Em-l pointed out that lie had no ini tent ion of reflecting on the race generally. | His remarks applied more to the special | features of a case like this before the I Court, in which a yoi'th was suddenly | transplanted from Maoridom to a position | amongst the stress and temptations of city j life. !lis Honor intimated that he could not i grant probation. 'Hie prisoner had com- | mitted (wo offences, and had shown con- ! siderable ability in cunningly plotting and i cunningly carrying out on one occasion two i swindles ot> his employer to gain money for ; himself and his friends. On the firs! ! count- prisoner was ordered to be detained j for eighteen months for reformative treatj nient. and un the second count ordered to ! eomp up for sentence when called upon. 1 His Honor .«aid there was not very much < difference Itefween tiie two prisoners, as linvd had willingly joined in the plot to i roll the Bank of New Zealand. He also ; would be .-enti'iif'fd to eighteen months' , detention, and His Honor added that he ! would communicate the special circumi stances of both cases to the president of i the Prisoners' Board.