Problem Of Drink Among Maoris

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1938, Page 3

Problem Of Drink Among Maoris

Excessive drinking was a very real problem among the Maori people, Mr. John Houston, Hawera, told the New Plymouth Rotary Club recently. He stressed that he was not an advocate of no licence, and referred to the matter because unbridled indulgence was a menace to the Maori. In Rotorua he had seen the effects of misused Saturday leisure resulting from the 40-hour week very clearly. In the matter of drinking the average Maori simply did not know where to stop.

Two points 4iad to be taken into considration. Firstly the drunken Maori was drunk on the liquor the pakehas taught him to drink, and the pakehas must share with him the reproach of his qonduct. The second point was that any differential treatment,- be it legislation or otherwise, would lead to undesirable results by aggravating the existing colour bar, and giving a sense of inferiority, as well as leading to breaches of any rule made. Such rules as existed in the matter were broken so often and so flagrantly that he was impelled- to include the last reference. The absence of the licences from the

King Country was the result of a bargain made by the chiefs with a bygone , pakeha government when they gave the land to complete the main line of railway. Those chiefs saw what they believed to be an evil, and the bargain was made to keep the evil from the Rohepotae. The story of certain efforts to remove the restriction was not a pleasant one.

Liquor at Tangis.

That much could be accomplished in the way of improvement by appropriate action was evidenced by the fact that, by a policy of “peaceful penetra-

tion,” the Aotea Maori Association in South Taranaki was. actually succeeding in eliminating excessive drinking at tangis. A tangi usually continued for a number of days, and the great drinking night had been the night of the- actual funeral. Lands had been mortgaged, stock sold, and rents anticipated at a discount to provide the necessary funds. An expenditure of £25 to £l5O on liquor had been quite a normal expenditure at individual tangis. While all manner of drinks had been available at tangis, the standard of comparison on the Taranaki

coast had sometimes been the number of kegs of beer at the tangi.

Eliminated.. In at least recent tangis of importance, the liquor had b.een cut right out,

and these precedents now stood in

three tribes, Nga-Rauru, Ngati-Ruanui i and Taranaki, affecting the West Coast from Waitotara to Opunake and beyond. There had been an element of competition as to the amount of liquor at tangis, and an element of “returning the other pa’s hospitality.” Now, people were inclined to point to the example set by the rangatira

families, and say, “If it is good enough for them to cut it out, it is good enough for us to follow suit.” On the other hand, a very recent tangi in South Taranaki cost £4O in liquor. The usual argument for liquor at a tangi was that this was a Maori custom. The simple answer was—the ancestors had no strong drink. It was easy to speak of these things in town and for the pakehas to criticise the Maori, but it was not easy for a Maori to take a stand against liquor in the pa, often-against the wish of the relatives of the deceased, the elders and his friends. Notices Posted In Bars. In Rotorua, notices had been set up in hotel bars to the effect that a Maori Adjustment Association had appointed wardens, and set out rules made in an endeavour to improve affairs in the interests of the Maori who indulged too freely. The notice stated that the police were aware of the rules and had agreed to assist the wardens in the execution of their duties. Mr. Houston was not in a position to-day to say what measure of success had attended this effort—certainly, it had the merit of being a move coming from the Maori people themselves. He saw quite enough Maoris at Rotorua under the influence on the Saturday morning and afternoon to appreciate the anxiety of those interested.

This problem of drinking was not one for cranks to deal with. The true solution should come from the Maori, as had been the case with the liquor at tangis in South Taranaki. Was it not, after all, a matter of education? J “As in other things pakeha guidance was useful, but it must be tactful. Only established friendship and regard will make such guidance effective,” concluded Mr. Houston.