PAKEHA AND MAORI.

Otago Witness, Issue 3861, 13 March 1928, Page 71

PAKEHA AND MAORI.

DAYS OF MISUNDERSTANDING PAST. „ . WANGANUI. March 9. Duung the opening ceremonv of tho new Presbyterian Maori Girls’ College at Marton, which replaced the old college at rurakina. the Rev. G A Aitken moderator, traced the interesting relationship between the pakehas and the Maoris and stressed their goodwill towards each other. There had been davs of unfortunate misunderstanding, he said, but happily those days were long past.’ The .school tnat ..was being opened that day was one indication of the goodwill of the pakeha Presbyterians toward the. Maori race, and tho fact that a considerable contrlb'dion had been made by lhe Maori Purposes Fund Control Board had demonstrated their cordial co-operation in the erection of the school. Tho speaker stressed the importance of good education in the eyes of Presbyterians generally, and he urged the girls to make the best use of their time and the equipment provided for them while scholars there. There was something more than education, however, and that was a sound foundation in Christian character, without which no education was complete Unfortunately in this counti-y, the speaker said, there were some thought otherwise, and many of the children in New Zealand were receiving their education without any consideration being given as to its relation to the Bible and Christian character.