MORMONS AND MAORIS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 145, 11 August 1911, Page 7

MORMONS AND MAORIS.

A LETTER FROM UTAH. THE OPINIONS OF A HALF-CASTE GIRL. The conditions of life awaiting young women who join the Mormon (JJuircn and embark for Utah is a subject exciting a good deal of troubled speculation at cue present moment in the Dominion, says tho Mtmaia “Witness.” If L"f common opinion entertained on the f übjeet is correct, tho attempt whicu is being made- to invoke ’ legislation for ,1,0 suppression of what some people regard as a brala! or oven an immoral traffic has much to justify it. On the outer hand, Mermans insist that the conditions awaiting girls who go to Utah are unexcoptionaole, very much better indeed, both morally' and socially than they arc here, and they contend, moreover, that polygamy does not now exist in the one time Merman State. IT,is, of course, is a moot point, and we believe it is impossible to hold a divergent opinion without very much endangering the truth. However, that may no it is well to hear tho other side with the view of endeavouring to arrive at the truth. Within the last day or two, Wharo Rao, who is the secular or perhaps the sni ritual head ol the Mormon (lock In this district, has shown us a letter which he lias just received from a young half-caste woman of IS wiio went some little time ago from Palmerston North to Utah. Her name is Wai, and she went out accompanied by her aunt, a married woman of 2/ and her husband. She

opt'iiks of the Mormons as “good people, ’ and she clearly has _ some iignt to think so. judging hy the atlions lavished on her hy wealthy Mormon oldens. A good deal of her time appears to have I icon spent in imitation motor riding and sumptuous picnicking, though no douht everything was done with due solemnity and "with decorum of a most rigorous order. Her uncle has taken up a freehold of 000 acres and the Mormons have given him a generous start, including a cow and some implements of husbandry. People in Now Zealand, she says, appear to think that the men have three or four wives, irat though siie has been in Ptali now over twelve months, she has not known any" man to have more than one wife.* She adds: “What you hear in New Zealand about those

things arc lies from beginning to end. There is more morality and docent good living than there is in the countries where there is such a great outcry against the Mormons. And let me also say they arc tno finest and kindest people in the world.” The motor car rides and the week ends slio describes as “mosv lovely,” and she adds: “When I am on these trips tucker never costs mo a penny.” What moic could you ask for? “Tno Maoris who come hero arc all welcomo, and one big rich man the other day said, ‘good luck to the Maoris, they arc all welcome here.’ In New Zealand.” she continued, “ministers never take their hats off to a Maori woman ; they du to the pakcha woman, but the ministers here respect .the Maori woman as cio the white women, and salute all the same. You see so many things here that are spiritually goon tiiat you think you

are born new. Inis place’ is the heaven on earth, and there is no better religions in tho world. ,'WJk n the trouolo of death comes tie stricken ones are not allowed to reel want, and that is the case even though you should belong to another Chim-n. Toni Llnistiau entireties in New Zealand don’t do that. I can only' toll you in answer to the lies and evil reports that arc so common, that the morals and tho private lives of the heads of our Church here arc a splendid example to tho people and they live as becomes the followers of tho humble Christ. Sixteen now' members arrived here from New Zealand and they got a warm welcome, most of them being white men and women from the Thames in Auckland.”