NOT ON SHOW.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 99, 28 April 1908, Page 4

NOT ON SHOW.

The desire manifested in the northern city to provide as many attractions for the American visitors as possible, is a commendable one, but there is a direction in which it is possible to go too far. We refer to the suggestion to hold a combined Maori demonstration. It is about time that the utilisation of the Maori for show purposes was stopped. It is a degradation to which he should not be called upon to submit. It is pleasing to note that this view is being strongly voiced by the leading natives themselves, who are at last beginning to realise that they exist for something better than to take part in a pageant for the •^entertainment of visitors. A leading northern native says that the Maori has something more to think of "at the present time than lending himself to show purposes. He is now busily engaged trying to solve the more serious problems affecting his own welfare and the general betterment of his peo,ple. "The Maori is constantly told that he is a useless member of society, that he does nothing with his land, and makes no effort towards his own betterment; and yet people want him to gather to make a display just at the worst time of the year for him to be away from his land. If he is to better his position he wants to be at work on his land about August. It is a great pity that Rotorua should always be mentioned in support of the view that any national gathering together of the Maoris leads to the sapping of moral fibre. Whatever may be said regarding the poi and other dances at Rotorua it is now recognised, so far as the Maori is concerned, to be one of the most morally clean centres in the North Island. If such were not the case the blame would rest more with the pakeEa than with the Maori. From what has been seen in Auckland, on the occasion of the visit of several warships, there is more justification there for any remarks on the score of virtue than at Rotorua." All will agree that if the Maori is to be "uplifted," and. fitted to take the same part in the social, political, commercial and other interests of the Dominion as his whiterskinned brother, he must not be asked to do anything which involves in even the slightest degree any loss of selfrespect.