TRAINING OF MAORI YOUTHS

Northern Advocate, 31 October 1936, Page 8

TRAINING OF MAORI YOUTHS

The Hon. F. Langstone, on behalf of

I? the Minister of Native Affairs, has in- %■ formed the North Auckland Associated Chambers of Commerce as to what the Native Department intends to do in % training Maori youths and girls. | l “The training Of Native girls in domestic science and nursing has been t- engaging the attention of the Education Department fot some time past,’’ stated the Minister’s: He said

p that he had called a conference in Wellington recently. Many suggesr tions were offered by delegates and sub-committees were set up. These suggestions would be considered by the Government at the earliest pos- . sible moment, and it was hoped that some practical and useful scheme would emerge. With regard to the training of Maori youths, he said that the establishment of special schools, as suggested by the Chamber, would entail a considerable financial outlay and annual cost, more especially, as to be successful, facilities would require to be provided for the training and instruction given at such schools being of a practical nature. To 4 ' fulfil the- requirement there would need to be* attached to each school or institution a" sufficient area of land to enable ifarminS in all its branches to be carried out as part of the practical side of the teaching. Possible Discouragement.

| v Although schools such as St. Stephen’s College; Hawke’s Bay, had farms attached to them, they did not provide a training in breaking in land from its p undeveloped stage to the stage of productibri, and boys, returning home from these institutions to land which was wholly unimproved, might easily become discouraged by the conditions to be faced with little or no financial resources to meet or provide for the needs of development along the lines upon which they had received their training. Native land development schemes, it was hoped, the Minister proceeded, would absorb a number of Maori boys for trailing. At the moment inquiry was being made, at the suggestion of the Waikato Diocesan Trust Board, to see whether a suitable area could be located for - the purpose of providing the maximum. of farming instruction for old scholars of Te Aute College. “Should this suggestion be develop- [ ed into an actuality the progress of ! the scheme would be carefully watch-, eci and if it proved successful, it might 'll be then found possible to extend it to ] other localities so as to afford similar opportunities to an increased number of Maori youths” the Minister concluded. '• “It would appear that both questions are fairly well under observation,” said: Mr J.. .Thornton (Kaitaia) at Thursday’s meeting of the North Auckland Associated Chambers at Kaikohe. “The Minister appears to be working on sensible lines.” Mr F. Guy (Kaikohe): “The trouble is that .the Maoris cannot wait while a great amount of money is being spent on consolidation schemes in the North.” The Maoris, he said, were paid to develop their own land when the land was brought in. Many of them were not fitted to carry on farming.” Mr H. W. Crawford referred to the work which was being done at the Native Settlement at Te Kao. A big expenditure had been undertaken there, and he stated that the indications were that the venture would be successful.