THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1949. MAORIS IN GAOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27166, 23 August 1949, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1949. MAORIS IN GAOL

Although Maoris constitute but six per cent, of the total population of New Zealand the proportion of Maoris incarcerated in our penal institutions is nearly 21 per cent, of the total prison population. That these figures evince a grave degree of maladjustment in a considerable section of the Maori race cannot be disputed, and the Prisons Board, in its annual report, has very properly expressed its concern at the high incidence of 'crime among Maoris, and more especially among the younger and more impressionable members of the Maori race. The board, has found that the reasons for many* Maori crimes are not related to the economics of living. Indeed, many offences have been committed while the persons have been gainfully employed. The board considers that: The chief causes have a deeper and more psychological origin. A pointer to their predominant characteristics is afforded by the fact that few Maoris living a community life ' in rural areas, and employed there, offend. . . . This comparative freedom from crime in rural areas . . . suggests that it is in their fitness for city life or in the circumstances attendant on their life in the cities that the root causes of their offend; ing must be sought. . . . The Maori whose experiences of life are entirely rural brings to the cities a primitive conception of social life and obligations, and an ignorance that might be as almost entire of European standards of conduct and morality.

The Prisons Board is not, of course, the first official body that has drawn attention to this grave national problem of Maori youth, but the submissions made in its report should serve to impress on the Legislature the necessity to hasten the introduction of remedial measures before an invidious distinction is drawn in the public mind, and the majority of Maoris striving towards good citizenship is made to suffer social and economic handicaps because of the criminal acts of a psychologically maladjusted minority. Sending Maoris “ back to the mat,” or isolating them in rural districts is no solution to the problem of eliminating their primitive concepts, although a policy that would offer greater scope for selected Maoris to engage in the farming of lands at present held in communal and confused ownership would be of benefit. The fact that a great many young Maoris of the present day cannot adjust themselves to the standards of European life is not so much a reflection on the Maoris as it is on the system of their education and training, for which Governments are responsible. Maoris have repeatedly proved themselves capable of good citizenship and civic leadership, and it is for New Zealand to decide whether its modern Maoris are to be educated to these ideals or whether they are to be permitted to degenerate into a minority problem that will plague the country for generations to come. The Maoris themselves cannot, unfortunately, influence the choice. Their salvation or betrayal lies almost entirely on the conscience of the Administration, and unless their problem is attacked more honestly, more ponscientiously and more humanely than it has been in the past they will come to realise keenly that though they have obeyed the proverbial admonition—“ join the chief’s party and you will fare well ” —their race, as a whole, has suffered.

A CALL FOR LEADERSHIP

The vigorous reply by Mr Shinwell to the recent attacks on Great Britain is welcome if it is an indication of the Government’s intention to adopt a positive attitude to present difficulties, but it would be more reassuring if it came from a more impressive source than the Minister of War. The speech may, however, have the desired effect since it has been taken up by the press- and, has resulted in what is termed “ a full scale counteroffensive against American criticism of Britain.” As we observed a few days ago in this column, there are good reasons why the people of the United States should view the economic policy of the British Government with disfavour and suspicion, but at the same time it is apparently true that the imminence of new sterling talks at Washington has prompted anti-British elements in that country to attempt to intensify these feelings. No doubt some of this propaganda will be successful and may induce a more cautious approach to the problem by the American authorities. It is therefore all the more important that the British mission should go to Washington representing not a Socialist Government but the British people, a people determined to overcome their difficulties. The vigorous rebuttal of criticism such as Mr Shinwell has made, represents a frame of mind which, if it be generally held, would stoongly influence the Government to accept the task of national leadership which it has too long ignored. If a successful campaign is to be conducted, it will need to be carried on with a sense of responsibility and an appreciation of realities. Indulgence in destructive criticism of America can help no one—except the men in the Kremlin—and the advocacy of short-sighted economic policies would also be worse than unhelpful. The suggestion that Great Britain might withdraw its trade from the United States and divert it to other countries would have the effect of relieving the dollar drain for a time, but it would eventually aggravate world trade difficulties. The diversion of trade could be an acceptable policy only as part of a general movement towards multilateral trade, a policy which has the approval of the United States. There is a growing hope that Mr Truman’s “ Fourth Point ” —the , policy of capital investment overseas for productive purposes, chiefly in undeveloped countries—might prove to be a major contribution towards balancing dollar and sterling currencies. That is long-term planning. It is more important at-present to examine what Great Britain itself can do. Two points require constant emphasis. There is a need for industry to concentrate on maximum efficiency -in production in order to reduce costs, but it is essential that the Government should give private enterprise its head instead of curbing it in the race for markets.