THE MAORI CONGRESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIX, Issue 14736, 15 July 1908, Page 9

THE MAORI CONGRESS.

MEETING AT WELLINGTON. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, July 14. Not since the signing of tho treaty of Waitangi, with the possible exception of the Rotorna assemblage when tho Duko and Duchess of York visited New Zealand, has there been brought together such a unique and representative gathering of prominent Maoris as that seen in the Town Hall this afternoon. The occasion was the official opening of the Maori Congress. Several hundred citizens and their wives attended to witness the proceedings. His Excellency the Governor was welcomed with a stirring Maori cry of greeting, and with him arrived on the,platform Sir Robert Stout (president of the Congress)/ who took the chair, tho ■ Primo Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), tho Native Minister (Air James Carroll), and Mr James Allen, M.P., representing the Opposition in the absence of Mr Massey. There were also on the platform Lady Stout, Lady Ward and tho Mayoress, Mrs T. W. Hislop. Sir Robert Stout briefly thanked the Maoris for having appointed him chairman, saying he felt it a great honour to bo present at the opening of tho conference.

His Excellency the Governor, after welcoming the delegates and others present, remarked: "There is one subject which I wish to speak about, which has come before me constantly since I came to New Zealand, and upon which I thing the foundation of your future prosperity entirely rests. Now that subject is the belief which is still held by, at any rate, a certain number of the older Maoris that the Government of New Zealand is not to be appealed to, but that the wisest course is to appeal to the King at Home. So long afl that false and futile impression is fostered so long will the millstone hang round the necks of tho Maori people, and so long will the efforts made by the educated Maoris, who are striving to raise their countrymen bo futile. If the duty of seeing justice done rested with the King and tho Imperial Government tbo likelihood of perfect justice for the Maori people would bo greatly lessened, for then tho heavy responsibility which really rests upon this Government would be so lightened that they would not have tho same sense of responsibility themselves. If any of you insist upon considering that, your real father is tho King ana the Government at Home, and that the Government and people out here aro only your stepfather, you can't expect to receive from them that perfect justice and more than justico which a father will render to his children. No, I would earnestily endeavour to impress upon you- that the first step in your decision cannot be made properly until those amongst you who still look upon the King's protection, tho mere words of tho treaty of Waitangi, realise that these must bo taken in. spirit and not in the letter, and that it is not upon merely his Majesty and the actual words of the treaty that the future raising of your countrymen depends. That upraising really depends upon your own self-reliance and determination to acquire the good points of tho white man and to avoid his evils. This is the moment when you arc all Assembled here this year that the real chance for the Maori people depends. The Maori population and their actual

well-being is at present in a stationary condition, and upon the way you consider the .numerous important questions which are being brought before you and tho way you carry them out depends more than over what your race is to be. I hope you will forgive me for speaking so very plainly as I have spoken. It would have been much easier to say nice things, hut my heart is with the Maori people, and I have endeavoured to say something that will bo useful to them." Sir Joseph Ward said ho saw in the gathering the dawn of a now day and; he hoped, a,- brighter day for the Maori people. Tho congress would afford an opportunity for summing up and tabulating what had been accomplished by Maori enterprise along the various lines of progress. It was a hopeful sign that tho Maoris' were adopting modern ideas touching land and agriculture, and that there was a rapidly growing acceptance of the doctrine that the salvation of the people was only possible through labour. Public opinion among tho Maoris was growing, and this, too, was a hopeful sigu for the future. " Perhaps it may be said," remarked the Prime Minister, "that the State has been remiss in its duty in some respects to tho Maori people, but I maintain that in this country, and upon tho whole, we of the British race have sought to do our duty under varying circumstances according to the best of our light, to assist the Maori people in its upward progress. Perhaps impatience, has been shown at times with what the strenuous white men would term the tardiness of the Maori people. If such has been shown, our Maori friends should appreciate that in a rapidly advancing country such as this is and the stress of our modern life it is difficult to at all times look at the same problems from the standpoint of the white man as the Maori people would view them." Sir Joseph concluded by assuring the Maoris assembled that they had the sympathy of their fellow-colonists of the white race: : '"■

Mr James Allen spoke briefly in place of Mr Massey. To Heuheu Tukino, the noted Taupo chief, and Mr A. T. Ngata,,M.P., returned thank?, the latter saying that the congress was devised with, the idea of bringing the best among the Maoris into contact with the best among the Europeans. He hoped that during the years to come the best of his people would more and more come to appreciate the good that there was in civilisation. If the Europeans- could so impress the delegates to the congross that they would go home and tell their people the pakeha methods were nil right and should be adopted, than one of the chi of objects of the-'con-gress would have been attained. Quaint musical items were contributed at intervals by the Rotorua Maori Entertainers and by East Coast Natives.