TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 191, 13 August 1900, Page 2

TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.

LIQUOR IN THE KING COUNTRY. Owing to pressure of space we have been unable until now to give the full text of the remarks made by the prominent speakers at the Temperance Convention at the Whiteley Hall on the 9th inst.

The Rev. F. A. Bennett, Anglican Missionary to the Maoris in the Tara naki district, spoke as follows:—We are met together tq.-night to discuss a subject of the most vital importance to all those who have the interests of the Maori people at heart, and especially to those of us who are members of the Maori race. I am very glad to have this opportunity and privilege of allowing my voice to go forth, as a representative of the Maoris, to protest most strongly against the proposed selling of intoxicating liquor in the King Country. Briefly summarised, the position is as follows: -The Maori chiefs of the Waikato, knowing the demoralizing effect the " waipiro " would have upon their people, decided at their own native meetings to do their utmost to keep their territpry free from it. So earnest were they over this matter that they went to the trouble and expense of sending delegates to Wellington (all of whom were rangatiras, with the chief Wahanui at their head), and there they presented their petition, praying " that the sale of spirits within our district shall be stopped absolutely." The Government agreed to grant their request, and the King Country up to the present has been a prohibited country. But to-day we are asked to bury the words of the dead Maori chiefs, to scatter to the winds their dying wishes, and their last will and testament is to be counted of no importance: the prohibited country is to be opened up to the baneful efl'ects of the liquor traffic. Such a proposal seems to be iniquitous and positively wicked. We are told that there are so many " pakehas " living in the King Country now that they must have their drink. Why should these pakehas complain ? They knew perfectly well when they settled in the King Country that they were settling in a country which was prohibited from the sale of intoxicating liquors. I have come in contact with a large number of native tribes in different parts, of New Zealand, and I have no hesitation in saying that the Maori race would be very much bptter of jf the men, as well as women, could be brought under the prohibitory clause of the Licensimg Act, This feeling is, very strong amongst the members of the " Young Maori Party." Look at the demoralising efl'ects drink h.as had, and is stil having, upon our Tarapak} natives, For 40 years it has been the custom on tlii-i coast to supply the mourners at Maori funerals with several casks of beer, as well as spirit'. Qur Maori women are supposed to be prohibited, but the men are allowed to get drink in large quantities, and at these Maori feasts it often happens that men, women, and children, are to be seen the

worse for liquor. Introduce liquor into the King Country, and there will be a repetition of this evil. It would seem that instead of our legislators agitating to have this prohibited country opened up to the drink traffic, their time would be very much more profitably spent in making earnest endeavours to enforce the prohibitory laws more rigorously, and to prohibit the Maoris in other districts—besides the Waikato—from acquiring liquo^." Mr. J. G. Harkness, in seconding the motion, quoted the following remarks made by Sir Robert Stout and Wahanui at the ceremony of turning the first sod of the King Oountry railway:— "We are standing," said Sir Robert, "on soil on which there has been a proclamation that no liquor shall be sold. I hope that those who do not agree with my temperance views will think of this, that, though many Europeans can take liquor without injuring themselves to any appreciable extent, if what is called fire-water gets among any aboriginal race like the Maoris, it condemns them to destruction. . . . Let it never bo said of us that we thus doomed a race to destruction," Wahanui, by whose side stood Rewi, said: " The part of Mr. Stent's speech I took particular notice of was that referring to the restrictions on spirituous liquors in this district." He then referred to' a map he had seen showing the bounds of the prohibited area, with which he. declared himself dissatisfied, and added, pointing to the Punui river, " I consider that we could not have had a better boundary with which to keep back the liquor than this stream of pure water." He (Mr. Harkness) also read other extracts bearing on the ageement made with the natives on opening up the country, of which the following were the mpst important : " In October, 1884, Wahanui, the great Ngatimaniapoto chief, came to Wellington bearing two petitions, one from 20 chiefs praying that he might be heard at the bar of the House, the other largely signed by King Country natives against the introduction of liquor into their district. Wahanui was granted a hearing on Ist November, and closed his brief address to the Legislative Council by saying: " Another request I have to make is that the sale of spirits within our district shall be stopped absolutely. Ido not want this great evil brought upon our people, I hope this House will be strong in preventing this evil coming upon us and upon our people." The prayer of the Maoris was granted and a proclamation was gazetted whereby the King Oountry was declared a prohibited area. Prior to, and after, Wahanui's visit, " Kingite Meetings," as they are called, were held in different places, when the opening of the King Country was discussed, and always with the kindred topic of the exclusion of liquor. On the day that the Premier turned the first sod of the railway, a preliminary meeting was held, at which many natives objected, saying that pakehcivilisation, following in the wake of the railway, would destroy them. The Premier replied that the prohibition i>f the sale of liquor in their midst had been proclaimed and gazetted. The Government had thus acceded to their request, and would maintain the proclamation inviolate. Wahanui, speaking immediately after, said the Government might be trusted to fulfil this promise. It is plain that both races understood that the prohibition of liquor was a condition of the opening of the King Country, and the introduction of the railway, which the Maoris imposed and the Europeans accepted. Itewi, on his death-bed, in June, 1892, sent ajtelegram to Governor Glasgow, as follows:—" To the Governor of NewZealand.—o Governor, welcome to New Zealand. Long may you live. My first request is that you prevent strong drink being allowed to come within the Rohe Potae. This my first request will be my last." In support of the motion, Mr. Parata Martin (a chief of the Ngatiawa and Puketapu tribes) addressed the audience in Maori, the Rev. F. A. Bennett acting as interpreter. He said:— "Greetings to you ladies and gentlemen who are assembled together here this evening, it is on account of the importance of the subject for our consideration to-night, to us who represent the Maori race, that I stand before you. Many years ago I met, at different times, some of the Waikato chiefs. Prom them I heard that their territory was to bo 'tapu' (sacred) as far as 'waipiro' was concerned. In the olden days a chief's word was always ' mana.' There was no occasion for a rangatira to repeat a remark. When he said a thing was to be done it was done. The rangatiras had given their word that 'waipiro' was not to be sold in the King Country. That word was of great'mana' to the Waikato natives. It was a good law for the natives. I speak from bitter experienca on the question of the liquor traffic. When I was a young man I began to drink, It was through drink that a great many of my troubles came upon me. I met with several accidents, and the scar upon my face was the result of running into a post while the worse for liquor. I often spent as much as five pounds in a clay or two on drink. Now I have given it up. I saw there was nothing in it but sorrow and trouble and pain. Instead of spending my money on teces ary things for myself and wife, it was all spent in ' waipiro,' and the result was poverty. If the King Country is opened up to the drink traffic it will be the means of bringing a great deal of trouble upon the Maoris, and it may even lead on to blood being shed in the troubles amongst the Maoris. Four years ago I called a meeting together of the Ngatiawa tr.be at a settlement not far from'here. We were desirous of giving up drink at the Maori feasts. But our ■ suggestion was not carried, I have I seen tvvp, live, and sometimes ten casks of beer emptied by the Maoris at some of these feasts. This is very bad. and it ought to, bo stopped. Some of the Maoris sell their cattle and horses, and others mortgage their lands at these feasts s.p thftt they_ might be able to provide the 'waipiro.' This is all I have to say. I hope you will be strong in protecting the Maori race from this evil water."

Mi'. Ware Waitai, a student with Mr. Bennett, and a native of the Ngati ifnhuhuuu tribe, who spoke in very I good English, said: I am ashamed to confess that it was only a few minutes ago that | d#tad to wm to this

meeting, not quite realising its importance, but since listening to the addresses of the previous speakers, and seeing the great importance of this meeting as touching the welfare of the race to which I belong, I feel very much smaller than I really am. This question is a very important one as touching the Maoris. I have the honour to be a member of the " Young Maori Party." We all feel very strongly upon this question. As far as we are able to gather, the majority of the natives would prefer to have total prohibition. The Government solemnly promised to grant the prayer of the Waikato chiefs, and prohibit the selling of liquor in their country. To-day they want to break their promise, Can the Maoris place any confidence in the pakeha and his Government if they break their promises like this? Can you expect respect from the Maoris if such is the way in which you carry out your promises? If they break this and then promise us something else to-morrow, how are we to know that they will carry out their promises? I have seen a great! deal of the effects of drink upon the Maori people, and especially my own. I could lead you from scene to scene where you will find the Maori thoroughly demoralised by drink; where you will find the husband thrashing the wife; where you will see men making their way homewards during the small hours of the morning all the worse for liquor. I am very glad to see that there are so many who are taking a real interest in the welfare of the Maoris. I hope you will go on with your good work and do your utmost for the welfare of my people.