India And The Maoris

Northern Advocate, 1 August 1940, Page 7

India And The Maoris

Remarkable similarities beiween the races of India and the Maoris were referred to by the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, in an address to members of the Hastings Rotary Club on Monday. Persons familiar with Maori traditions and legends, said the bishop, would recall that many referred to ‘‘the cradle of the race.'’ No one knew just where this was; in fact, there were several places credited with be- j ing the ‘‘cradle - ’ of the Maori race. j At a missionary conference he had attended in Madras, India, however, while speaking with representatives from such areas as Borneo and Sumatra, he had been surprised to find the number of Maori terms in use in these countries and in the southern part of India. Bishop Bennett illustrated the point with a number of words and expressions which showed a marked similarity to the Maori equivalents, adding that they had become quite convinced that the Maori race was an offshoot from some ancient Indian people. Ferv Christians. Commenting that there were some 360.000,000 inhabitants in India, and that the country had been ruled by Britain for almost 400 years, the speaker deplored the fact that although missionaries had been working in India during all the period there were still only 6,000,000 Christians. “There is something wrong when so many in a country under the shadow of our flag are still heathens,” he said. A tribute to the position enjoyed by New Zealand businessmen overseas was paid by the bishop when he described a conversation with an Indian of high rank who was interested in the introduction- of New Zealand butter into his country. The Indian was most enthusiastic about the methods and honesty of New Zealand firms; he had said that in all his business dealings the New Zealanders had given him the most satisfaction. N.Z. Butter Popular. Although butter from the Dominion cost 33 per cent, more than the Indian product, yet its popularity there was growing by leaps and bounds. The Indian businessman had forecast the prospect of a big trade between these two countries for this commodity alone in the future. He himself had been surprised to find that New Zealand’s business relations extended so far afield, Bishop Bennett commented.