THE MAORI RACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23351, 17 November 1937, Page 14

THE MAORI RACE

IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS BENEFITS FROM STATE SCHEMES PRAISE FOR THE GOVERNMENT (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Nov. 16. "I have noticed great improvements in the temporal conditions of the Maori communities in the north," said Bishop Bennett, after his annual tour among the Maoris in North Auckland. He is at present conducting his annual visit to the Maoris of the Auckland Diocese, and will proceed to the Maoris at Hauraki and Thames.

The improved conditions ruling among the Maoris of the north were attributed by Bishop Bennett to the development schemes, particularly with regard to small dairy farms. "The . Government deserves credit," he said, "for carrying out the Maori land development schemes initiated by Sir Apirana Ngata. They have proved an inestimable temporal blessing to the Maori race wherever they have been established in the Dominion. Every able-bodied man is working, and with the more cheerful outlook which has developed out of the abundance of work, with consequent better wages, regular food and hours of work, the Maori race is fitter physically and is even increasing rapidly. One feature of the treatment of the Maori race is that the policy has been one of encouragement in contradistinction to the small hope held out to the Maori in the early days." Information to the effect that the attendance at school by Maori children was on the increase was gained by Bishop Bennett from Native school teachers. One of the great difficulties was the bridging over of the adolescent stage for both boys and girls, and it appeared that something was required to carry them on from the time they left school until they were settled in some occupation. Something definite or some organisation seemed necessary to have young people trained for some trade or occupation. The Native school teachers were on the whole a splendid type. In fact, the Government was to be congratulated on the type of officers detailed to work among the Maori people. They were generally interested in the welfare of the Maoris and the development of their own native culture. " I notice that reference was made in the Presbyterian General Assembly to the desirability of closing hotel bars on Saturdays, and I am heartily in sympathy with that view," Bishop Bennett added. "It will be for the good not so much of the Pakeha as for the Maori. I have seen and heard all over the country how the better class of Maori is bemoaning the fact that so much hard-earned money is being squandered on drink. That feeling is not confined to the Maori people. It would be a great Godsend to families throughout the country if hotels could be brought to comply with the general five-day week operating in so many other industries."