THE MAORI LANGUAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 9

THE MAORI LANGUAGE.

Sir, — I read with much interest an article in the Herald upon the necessity of making the study of Polynesian languages etc., a feature of New Zealand University work, and urging trie establishment of a chair at Auckland, without loss of any more valuable time. Some of those who read it will remember that about 12 years ago, upon a petition which I had the honour of drafting, the Maori language was admitted by the University Senate as one of those in which a candidate for matriculation could present himself for examination. The further development advocated by your article was, no doubt, in the minds of those who supported this change; though the claim was made principally as a matter of justice to the Maori student, whose native language seems to have as good a claim as least, as that of the Zulu or Iroquois if not as good, gay, as that of a Spaniard or Portuguese resident in the country. Unfortunately, after not more than three years, the senate decided to cancel this privilege, for reasons which, at any rate, were not made clear and convincing in £iie newspaper reports of the senafe proceedings. I am writing now to point out that, if the university is to take up the matter of Polynesian research, the reinstatement of the Maori language and the addition of other Polynesian dialects, to the list of optional subjects for matriculation, would seem to be the first step. 1 admit, and at the same time, submit, that it would probably be seldom availed of; that it would involve seme j difficulty not entailed by other language I subjects, and a disproportionate expense; but so, no doubt, do the Zulu and Iroquois Tongues; yet the University of Cape Town, and the McGill University of Toronto, prefer to face that, rather than inflict injustice on their aboriginal compatriots. Albert Nelson.