UNION OF RACES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22464, 7 July 1936, Page 11

UNION OF RACES

MAORI AND PAKEHA

INTER-MARRIAGE ADVOCATED

SUGGESTION BY BISHOP

INTERESTS OF NEW ZEALAND

[from our own correspondent] By Air Mail LONDON, Jnne 20 The inter-marriage of Maori and European, as being "in the interests of New Zealand, because by such a union a fine race was produced, and it would solve many of the country's difficulties.'' was advocated by Bishop C. A. Cherrington, Bishop of Waikato, when speaking at the annual meeting of the Ashford Missionary Association, according to the Middlesex Chronicle. Bishop Cherrington, states the newspaper, said missionary work was the most important in the Church, and it was about time Christian people "pulled up their socks" and began to understand there was such a thing as a heathen who had never heard the name of God and who spent all his days in spiritual fear. In his, the bishop's, diocese in New Zealand there were such people. The Englishman's knowledge of New Zealand and its customs was appalling. He had been asked if all the people were half-castes. New Zealand depended entirely on England, and if England did not buy the exports of New Zealand they would be "up the spout" in no time; but in England they did not insist on New Zealand taking English goods free. The New Zealanders were vastly moro hospitable than the English and did not think so much of conventions. They were not so stiff and starchy as some of the I people in England. .

"Dreadful Ignorance" The two difficulties which New Zealand had to contend with from a religious point of view were very great. New Zealand was akin to a young married couple who intended to go their own way without the interference of mothers and fathers. Since 1870 in the otherwise excellent State schools the name of God had not been mentioned. No religious instruction of any sort was given, and the Church was now dealing with the second generation of people who had been brought up without the word of God. Their ignorance was dreadful, but the Church was doing nil it could to cope with that difficulty. The second great difficulty was that n man could leave his wife, and viceversa, for anything, and after three \'ears obtain a bill of divorcement. It was contrary to the law of the Church and it made things very difficult. Oars "Tied With String" Two of the chief industries were sheep farming and cow-punching, and it was a curious anomaly, that few people knew, that England was provided with better and cheaper butter than the New Zealander who made it had to eat, although things were getting a bit better since the depression of 1931. Still, the price of land was far too high.

The difficulties which confronted the Church in New Zealand included those of distance and the absence of a method of getting church news from other dioceses. He had suggested a church newspaper, but it had been turned down, and they had to rely on parish magazines. His diocese was a stripling at the moment and needed a great deal more money. In it were two towns about the size of Ashford, and 27 parishes, and he solved the problem of transport by riding a motor-cycle, a method which he suggested other clergymen should adopt, but they seemed to prefer riding in cars tied together with bits of string. At the moment he was appealing for £ISOO to pay the debt on a neighbouring parish.

The conditions under wiiicli soma of the clergy worked were too bad to continue, concluded Bishop Cherrington, and he hoped they would shortly be improved. One curate lived in a room with a bed, chair and table, and had to rely for his meals on the generosity of his parishioners and his two fellow-curates. He was given- £3 a month pocket money.