Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 13. 1937 PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF THE MAORIS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 13 November 1937, Page 6

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 13. 1937 PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF THE MAORIS

SIR APIRANA NGATA, wellknown as the champion of Maori political and racial intcicsts, advocates improved water-supply and modern housing for the Maori people, to whom tuberculosis and other diseases (due largely to over-crowding and faulty watersupply) are a serious menace. Time was when the Maoris lived in the kainga, in accordance with the traditions and customs of their race. Now they live partly in the kainga and partly in houses such as the Pakeha inhabits. In the old days, before the arrival of the white man, the Maoris suffered from pulmonary diseases, but not in such measure that their race was endangered. In those distant days they drew their water from the running streams, and their kaingas were usually built on elevated, well-drained sites, healthy, and easily defended against marauding bands. To-day the water-supply of their villages is very much as it was except that with the increase of the country s population the purity of the water in the streams and rivers must necessarily have decreased. Sir Apirana Ngata asks that the Maoris living in the kaingas shall be assisted in solving the housing problem, including water-supply, and apparently he would call upon the Government for assistance at the public’s expense. Of course everything should be done to improve the health of the Maori race. Some people may say that as the Maoris maintained their racial stability unassisted, when they lived in their natural state, they should do so now under what arc deemed to be improved conditions. But the situation has changed. To-day the Maori race is largely infused with white blood, and the adoption in large measure of the whites style of living, of clothing, and of food may very well have decreased the race’s power of resistance to tuberculosis and other diseases. Good housing and pure watersupply are necessary to its physical welfare. If the Maoris cannot provide these, they should be assisted to do so. 1 he only really important question is how best they can be assisted to roach the desired end, which is the elimination of pulmonary diseases and typhoid, and how to establish a standard of health which shall be relatively high. There is no doubl that good housing and pure watersupply are essential for this purpose. If, as seems possible, there are some 35,000 Maoris who require proper housing and watersupply, and estimating an average of five persons to a dwelling, it would appear that at least 3\ to 4 million pounds sterling would be required to bring Sir Apirana s olan completely into operation. The question is, Should this very substantial amount be found solely by the Government, or should the Maoris concerned be called upon to contribute? Il would be very philanthropic and altruistic for the Government lo say to the Maoris, " Here are thousands of brand-new houses, complete and with water laid on. Occupy them and be happy.’ But to spoonfeed a race is to undermine its self-dependence and virility. Probably some plan for encouraging self-help by means of Government assistance would meet the case. Il is the duty of the New Zealand ncople and Government to do all that is needed to assure 'rood health and well-being I to the Maori race, but at the same I time any assistance to the desired lends should be of such a nature, land should be so applied, that j the self-respect and self-depend-jence of the Maori race «hou!d be preserved. 1 hat urwsiblv could I he attained bv providing that the | Maoris eontribu'ing to the proloosed plan (cither by contribu- | lions of land and budding maj terials, or by subscribing substantial sums of money) shall be allowed lo make their payments mver a fixed and fairly long period (of years. Tinally it may be pointed | out that anv such plan as that sug- ! vested by Sir Apirana Ngata for housing the Maoris, and giving I Miem plenty of mire water in their j homes, cannot be carried out in a | dry, or even in a year. I lie suggestion, which has been made by ; the esteemed Maori leader, is excellent and worthy of the closest

and most sympathetic consideration, but is il enough to encourage the Maoris lo live in the white man’s fashion without supplying them with his industry, fixity of pmpose, and ability to perform difficult tasks, of which the immediate results and benefits cannot Ire clearly perceived? Ihe average Maori needs something more than improved housing and water-supply. By all means encourage him lo live in the most sanitary manner but at the same time encourage him to copy the Pakcha’s capacity for hard work and thrift; and the problems presented by housing and watersupply would quickly be solved, especially if a paternal Government were to a fiord material assistance in promoting the good work. Il should be the object of all concerned —the Government, the churches, the Education Department, etc. —not merely to improve the Maoris’ conditions of living, but also to broaden and brighten their mental outlook; and this work can be materially promoted by use of the wireless and the cinema (the dramatic film, operatic films, topical news films, films based upon well-known standard literary works, upon the historical drama and comedy) and there should be a proviso that as far as possible such reproductions should be of British origin.