TE AUTE ASSOCIATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2126, 27 February 1908, Page 2

TE AUTE ASSOCIATION.

MAORI INFANTILE MORTALITY. Pres 3 Association. AUCKLAND, Feb. 26. Tho death-rate of Maori infants was the subject of discussion at the conference of the Young Maori Party, when a paper on “Infantile Mortality” was read by Dr. Terangi Hiroa. He regretted that exact- statistics were not available, but from personal.observation lie knew that- the Maori infant mortality was very high. This was due to the same causes as with Europeans, but to an even greater extent. Before the arrival of the European the Maoris were a healthy race, and at tile present day, owing to tho clash between the two systems, the Maori had suffered in physical health, and the mothers did not have the robust health of their ancestors, and as a result their offspring suffered. The Maori mother of old had only one method of feeding her child; in these days there was cows’ milk, .tinned milk, and the various tinned foods to complicate matters. If the European suffered as a result of this ignorance in the proper use of these alternate foods, then the Maori suffered, still more. Excessive cigarette-smoking and drinking were indulged in during the period of suckling, and ignorance of proper clothing and hygiene helped.'to swell tho mortality list. He exhorted the association that as their ancestors banded together in times gone by to raise men to avenge some tribal defeat, so now they should band together to raise a people, with a knowledge of these matters, to avenge the deaths that ignorance had wrought unon the race.