EAST COAST MAORIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20827, 4 July 1942, Page 2

EAST COAST MAORIS

QUESTION OF MORALITY The members of the Waiapu branch of- the New Zealand Educational Institute strongly protest against a published report concerning' -the East Coast Maori. The secretary of the branch' states that in the report of a . speech of Mr. A. Runciman' • -to .the iHtystings_' Rotary Club passages Were quoted out of context and that an entirelv wrong impression' was' given. He continues. ‘ty refer particularly to the paragraph, “Orthodox families on the coast were rare, the Maori home comprising, in addition to the normal family, 'grand-parents! adU'l.t relatives. and invariably an extra child or two. Children of unmarried mothers,' and -often' of sons, were present' in almost every home as illegitimacy was'ho slur.’ “In our survey, the actual wording of that part-was, ‘lt is rare to 'find'in a Maori home a ‘family comprising only the orthodox Anther, mother and children of a pakehh home. The ohe’roof tree usually shelters. 1 ns well as these, nine ! dr'' more 'grandparents, various a duty relatives, and almost invariably ah extra- child or two. The unmarried mother on the east coast is not made to feel socially 1 - inferior and no slur is cast on illegitimacy, indeed, the sanity over this problem is admirable. Children of unmarried daughters, and often sons are present in almost every home.’ ”