IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21000, 5 February 1930, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY. Winton Vital Statistics. The vital statistics for Winton for the month of January reports the postmaster, Mr Davis, are:—Births 6; deaths 1; marriages 1. « * * * Motor-cars Collide. When the Rev. J. Johnston, of Dipton, was proceeding to Invercargill yesterday, his motor-car collided with another going irt the opposite direction. Fortunately no one was injured, though both vehicles were rather severely damaged. * ♦ » * Collision at Riverton Rocks. A serious motor collision occurred at Hunter’s Corner on the road between Riverton and the Rocks on Monday evening. The Southland Motor Association has erected a signpost, where the road forks, with the information “One Way Traffic.” A Balclutha motorist who was returning from the Rocks did not observe the signpost and, instead of turning inland, hugged the road alongside the river. Mr P. A. Williams, a taxi-driver, of Riverton, was proceeding to the Rocks and not expecting any traffic in the opposite direction, when he struck the other car head-on. He escaped injury, although the other motorist, who received a deep cut in his cheek, had to have stitches inserted in the wound." Both cars were very badly smashed, the chassis in each case being damaged beyond repair. » ♦ » * Maori Visitors To South Africa. When conversing with a Times reporter yesterday, Dr. H. D. Matheson, formerly medical officer in charge of the leper station at Rabbin Island, Table Bay, South Africa, but now Assistant Medical Superintendent of the Pukeora Sanatorium, Waipukerau, discussed the prejudice which, on many occasions, has been manifested by the South Africans towards visiting Maoris. “You must understand,” remarked the doctor, “that in South Africa there are many.different native tribes with totally different customs and languages and that the natives outnumber the whites by about 30 to one. The raw, uneducated native who has not come into contact with civilization to any great extent still maintains his racial characteristics, and, in the great majority of cases, is a very fine type of humanity. He lives the old tribal life and does nothing but grow his own daily food, which principally consists of maize—the staple article of diet. Unfortunately, the totally different classes of natives present a very big problem in South Africa. Round the South Western districts of the Union we have a race which has resulted from . inter marriage, in years gone by, between various native races and Europeans. Since the p ortguguese on their way to India first established a station in South Africa there has been considerable intermarriage as a result of which has been evolved a most unfortunate type of humanity—a light skinned race called the ‘cape coloured.’ This class is on a very low scale and has become a verv serious problem. Its members are lying and deceitful and form a very large percentage of the criminal classes of the country. Herein probably lies the prejudice shown against the Maori visitors. Because the Maori is a fairly light skinned native who very much resembles in colour this lower South African class of native held in abhorrence by the whites, it is somewhat difficult for the average South African to realize the fact that the Maori is a pure native of a high intellectual level.”