MAORIS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9549, 21 July 1913, Page 4

MAORIS AND THEIR CUSTOMS.

The presence of a highly infectious disease in the Dominion and the rapidity of its spread among the native population has drawn pointed atten-i tion once again to the conduct of certain Maori customs. It has always been the policy of the |K>wers that he in New Zealand to respect as far as possible the customs of tho natives, especially where they concern such matters as the burial of the dead, and this is perhaps one of the reasons why comparatively little trouble has been experienced in dealing with the aboriginal inhabitants of New Zealand. But there can lie little doubt that such a policy of non : interference can be carried too far. So long as native customs can be made to conform to the laws of hygiene they may well be left alone, but when the health of the natives themselves and \ the European insulation as well is endangered it is high time for the Government to exercise some authority. Had a wise policy been adopted years ago in compelling the natives to conform to more healthy modes of living many of the disastrous epidemics would not have occurred, and it hqa already been shown that the present disease might easily have been stamped out in its infancy had the Maori pahs been kept in a proper state of sanitation. In the Howo last week tho question was dealt with by the member for Waikato (Mr Young), who spoke of the manner in which tangis were allowed to proceed without respect to the nature of the disease from whirh the victim had died. The speaker referred to tho extraordinary incident in which Maoris were allowed to hold their funeral rites ovor the remains of a smallpox victim, with the result that two of those present contracted the disease. Another instance was given of a tangi being earried on for a long period over a tuberculosis victim. Seeing that the natives are so susceptible to epidemics there should surely be more stringent control exercised in these matters, especially when tho health of the whole of the inhabitants of the Dominion is at stake.