THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1897.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10412, 9 April 1897, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 1897.

We have no doubt that there are still many amongst us who take an interest in the condition of the Maoris, and who therefore will read with attention the letter of Mr. W. Gordon Kelly, which appears in another column. The generation o£ settlers which knew the Maoris intimately is now passing away That generation embraced many who had been long associated with Maoris in different relations, and who recognised that they possessed many good and even noble qualities. That generaration also continued many whose views were coloured by the Waikato and Taranaki wars, and by the murders of settlers which preceded them. The great body of the Europeans throughout the colony now regard the natives with indifference. They do not pretend to understand the native character. They do not trouble themselves to entertain anticipations of their advancement to civilisation. They look upon them as an obstacle to the spread of settlement, and so far a drawback to the colony. It is necessary, wo think, to be somewhat cautious in accepting Mr. Kelly's estimate. He had some intercourse witli the Maoris in hie early years, but he has been long absent from the colony, and has only an imperfect knowledge of their language. He is now acting as a religious missionary amongst them, but when asked why he does not connect himself with the bodies who have native missions, he says that he would have to become a Wesleyan or an Anglican, and he prefers to follow his own method of teaching religion. Wβ are not inclined, therefore, to accept all that he says, without nuiking some allowance,

The problem of religion amongst the natives in the King Country is one of considerable psychological interest. Before the war, they were all Christianised, and there was no well-populated district without its missionary. Religious observances were universal, and it seemed as if a nation bad really forsaken its idols. When the war came, the missionary stations were broken up, and the missionaries lost credit, because it was supposed that some of them had acted as spies for the military operations on our side. Then came the development of flauhauism, with its curious mixture of Maori heathen observances intermingled witli and founded on the laws of Moses and the exalted declamations of the Old Testament prophets. The New Testament was ca3t away, and in some cases, when the Maoris possessed Bibles, they cut away the New Testament. In effect, this composite faith remains, We never hear of the violent manifestations of Hauhauism, as when a crowd of people would go whirling round a pole till they were all frantic with excitement. But Hauhauism has never been quite eradicated, and probably it is this which makes our correspondent exclaim that "the King Maoris are as Christless as an ox." The Anglican and Wesleyan Churches have missions amongst the Maoris, but apparently they are not carried on with any amount of vigour. It is, however, to these churches we must look for the bringing back of the Maoris to Christianity, if that can be achieved. Isolated efforts like that of Mr. Kelly cannot result in much.

But indeed the most precious evangel for the Maori is to be taught habits of steady industry, as the only hope for the preservation of the race. Within the last thirty years large sums have been paid to the Maoris for land, and they have learned to live on these doles. Most of them have beeu able to live in idleness, and in such circumstances Satan is as busy with Maoris a3 with Europeans. The only parts in all New Zealand where the natives are increasing are those parts where they have old all their surplus land, and s have spent the money, and are compelled to fall back upon the cultivation of the ground for subsistence.

The King Country is a prohibition district. Every, drop of alcohol is there illegally. It cannot legally be bought or sold or kept. But it is sold and consumed everywhere. Occasionally, by an elaborate system of trapping and spying a conviction is obtained, but that has no effect in checking the wholesale traffic that goes on. In every direction Maoris are found selling drink to Europeans and their own countrymen. Some years ago it was a favourite plan to eend to the King Country hop ale almost as strong as whisky, but apparently there is no need now to resort to such un expedient. Two conclusions, must be drawn from this state of affairs —first, that the attempt to make a. prohibition district in the King Country Li an utter failure, and ought to be abandoned; second, that whatever might be the result of an attempt to keep alcoholic liquors out of the colony altogether, prohibition in a special dis-

trict is impossible. If the whole police force of the colony were devoted to the enterprise to-morrow, they could not put down the sale of spirits in the King Country. There is no doubt also that as a great number of the Maoris are engaged in what is virtually smuggling, and defying the lav, this must be a fertile source of demoralisation. It would be far better to have licensed houses at various places where travellers could procure beer or spirits. The Maoris then would have to give up slygrog selling as a means of earning money. We know that in some districts where there are hotels, the Maoris are ou the whole sober, and are becoming more and more abstinent; and wo know that they are the most drunken and demoralised where there are no hotels, and where prohibition is the law.