MAORI REVIVAL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11831, 12 January 1933, Page 3

MAORI REVIVAL

MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL

BISHOP BENNETT DELIGHTED

(Special to the Times.)

OPOTIKI, Jan. 11

The Right Rev. F. A. Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, is paying his annual episcopal visitation to i-he Maori pastorates of tbe Tauranga Archdeaconry. He has already spent threo weeks in the Archdeaconry and to-dav loaves Opotiki for Torero, where lie is to visit the local Natives. Tile Bishop thinks there is every cause for feeling encouraged ns far as the future of the Maori people is concerned, both material and spiritual. On the material side, he says, the Maoris everywhere are working bard The old saying that the Maori was lazy is no longer true. It is-now a. rare thing to see young Maoris unem ployed if labor is available. The Maori people cannot be measured in L.s.d. They are a new rare of enthusiasts in land development.

.The Bishop was very struck with the splendid development in the Buatoki district. The communal spirit' of the old time Maori has been revived in connection with their land schemes. During the harvesting period, big parties of Maoris join together and go from Maori, farm to Maori farm, helping each other and making no charge whatever for bailor or for (lie use of lorries or machinery.

On the spiritual side, the Bishop feels very optimistic. Large rongroig.ations gather everywhere be visiis

and, on several occasions, the main services have been held in the open air as the churches were not big enough for tbe congregation. At Ballon, near Whnk.atane, the Bishop was invited by a young men’s organisation to address them. There were between 50 and 60 young Maoris averaging 22 years of age who had gathered for the purpose of receiving spiritual advice from the Bishop. The Bishop was the special guest of the Ringatn- gathering on New Year's Day. when the gathering was historic. The Bishop preached to a good congregation lasi night in St. iStopheiiis Church and to-day-<3= •ed at a large garden fete in the Vicarage grounds attended by severa 1 - hnndred people; Tbe Mayor of Opotiki (Air. ,T. T. Thompson). opened the fete and introduced the Bishop who, in his opening address, delivered in Maori and English, advocated afurther effort by the church-people to help the vicar in his parochial duties. He also appealed to the people to use ■their best efforts to get money to oreefc a suitable memorial to the late Her. 'Karl Volkner, 'the martyr. Large numbers of stalls did good business and radio reports of the Kings ford Smith flight were received at intervals. Music was supplied by an orchestra under Air. Carter Bowles

Two Maori choirs and ouc pakeha choir sang in competition, the renderings being very fine. Rev. N. F. Beni mm was bid farewell, as he loaves shortly for Napier. The Rev. O. O. G. Salt, the new vicar, will bo inducted by tbe Bishop of AA'ainpu on January 22.