OUR MAORI COLUMN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 January 1929, Page 6

OUR MAORI COLUMN

SUMMARY IN ENGLISH. lii his introductory remarks this week tke Maori Editor states that Aotea is no longer a stranger to Maori readers' in many parts of New Zealand and ke acknowledges the many letters of appreciation and encouragement which have been received from leading Maoris in this and other provinces. Aotea has already been introduced to Maoris in Earatonga.

The article goes on to emphasise the the importance of newspaper-reading to the Maori people, stating that it is the newspaper Press which brings the thoughts of the leaders in all walks of lifo under the notice of the masses. Though there is still muck for the Maori people to achieve, there is no need for them to feel afraid of the results, for history reveals that the pakeha started muck after the manner of the Maori .and followed the lines of development which the Maori must follow. In ancient times the pakeha wc?fe the skins of animals and lived in caves, but by organisation and loyalty to leadership the pakeka evolved his present civilisation. There had to be muck talking and planning before this could be brought about, but after the talk had come the work and the achievement —“talk is useless unless it is followed by work.’ 5 The pakeka has provided a plan for the Maori to work upon. There is a need for the i-aee to wake from its slumbers and the first step towards reorganisation- was the acquisition of knowledge. It is the aim of Aotea to serve the Maori jJeople bv the dissemination of knowledge. The second article is written by Tonga Awhikau, one of the leaders of Ngataranuis, of South Taranaki. The writer highly praises the matter which has thus far appeared in the columns and predicts it will have a helpful influence on the future of the race.

The third article quotes several ancient proverbs which have a particular application at the present time. ‘ ‘ The world we live in ’ ’ is the title of the fourth article, which is from the pen of the Maori Editor, Mr Oliver Haddon. In the course of this the writer quotes some interesting figures. He mentions that there are 63 million square miles of dry land on this planet arid some 2000 million people inhabiting it. Mankind, he divides according to colour, white, brown, black and yellow. The white population of the world is about COO millions; black, 200 millions; brown, 400 millions; yellow, 700 millions. Broadly speaking, brown i and black races are under the dominai tion of the whites. Of the 33920 million acres of the world, 30S0 millions are controlled by the whties. A point is made of the fact that the land occupied or controlled by the whites is divided among less people than is the land occupied by the millions of the coloured races, and the article concludes by pointing out the tremendous responsibilities borne by the British race which controls the largest Empire the world has ever -seen, peopled by races of white, brown and black. The report of a recent wedding, news in brief paragraphs and a sermon by the Eev, Robt. Haddon, Supt. of Maori Missions in New Zealand, conclude this wreck’s Aotea.