MAORIS AND ALCOHOL.
VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. WELLINGTON, October 4. **A great deal of trouble here, or perhaps the greatest, is the drink question,” states the District Health Officer at Auckland, reporting on the health of the Maoris In the annual report of the Public Health Department. '‘This is a prohibited district for the Natives, but the amount of sly grog-selling that goes on is simply appalling. Some pakeha men make quite a big living in this way, selling drink at twice its value. The Natives take it to their homes, and men, women, and children partake of it freely and become intoxicated. At all Maori settlements they have sheds In which to store it. At every funeral, tangi, or entertainment of any kind the majority are drunk. Three different school teachers have told me of their pupils being drunk after attending a tangi. One small child, of about five years of age, was_ seen by a teacher to be drunk and carrying a bottle of liquor. This sort of indulgence must surely ho injuring their health. The Natives while in this state become very Savage, and it is not the nicest thing for me to bo goirio- among them.”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19151006.2.82
Bibliographic details
Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 35
Word Count
199MAORIS AND ALCOHOL. Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 35
Using This Item
Allied Press Ltd is the copyright owner for the Otago Witness. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Allied Press Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in