MAORI MEMORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1935, Page 1 (Supplement)

MAORI MEMORIES

WORK IS LIFE

(By

J.H.S.

.—Copyright.)

“He orate Mahi”—not only so; but it was an unqualified pleasure, and an actual condition upon which a Maori could be permitted by his Creator to live. “Give us this day our daily work, that we may earn our bread” was their fervent but unuttered prayer. Not an ounce of physical energy was lost in the elimination of surplus food, for there was none. In the absence of groundless fears for the future, mental efficiency was maintained. Work was their very existence, their pride, and their pleasure. Payment had no part in it.

One of the greatest obstacles to the improvement of a nation just emerging from barbarism is the difficulty of keeping them from idleness. Happily the Maori was very different in this respect from every other semi-barbarous people. His energies could and should have been quite easily directed. When muscular energy fails he will amuse himself with' flights of oratory, and derive as much pleasure and excitement as a modern political enthusiast. Even then it was realised that tire Government should not make a practice of providing employment to natives or others “as it is well known that private enterprise can do so more efficiently and at far less cost.” Among the amazing schemes seriously propounded by business men and members of the Government was a “dray road from Auckland to Wellington at a total cost to. the Government of £15,000, which sum was to be realised by the sale of the useless and extravagant brig Victoria. Even the saving of her expenses for ten years (£1508) would effect the purpose.”

These philanthropic promoters and the community generally were apparently quite unaware of the fact that the distance was over 400 miles, through dense forests, over mountain ranges .and rivers and gorges. These unchided philosophers proposed to make an appeal to the missionaries, the Christian public and the Maoris, “to provide free labour of about 2000 unemployed native tribes, whose kumaras, corn and potatoes were perishing for the want of roads and markets. They capped all by announcing that if the Maoris could be induced (in- their innocence) to give their services free of cost, they would suppose that the undertaking was for their sole benefit. A Penal Settlement?

In November, 1839, a grave injustice was thrust upon the Maori people jtnd the pioneers of New Zealand by the penal authorities of the Mother Country. The moral pest created among a simple and receptive people by the introduction of scores of juvenile delinquents released from the penal institution of Parkhurst did irreparable harm, from, which there seemed to be no hope of recovery. Individual and public protests from Maori chiefs and pakeha friends as well as those from missionaries, the local authorities, and the Queen’s representative, were not replied to. The fact. that’ nine or ten months elapsed before an answer could be transmitted made light of an apparent discourtesy. If the British Government had actually designed to intro_duce every species of vice and immorality among a people whose very instincts favoured: dean living, they could not have adopted a more effective means. If, instead of young lads of attractive physique, whose immoral tendencies had been temporarily suppressed in a prison, where temptation was merely suspended, they had been old criminal offenders, they would have been relatively harmless. They would simply have disgusted the Maoris and would have no influence over their hereditary observance of the laws of mana and tapu. The very youth of these lads, their acute intelligence, with the semblance of restraint and moral principle, made them accept* able to the Maori boys and girls, over whom they had thus attained an insinuating but sinister influence. As a school of vice for the delusion of its artless victims, nothing could be more effective. The infatuation and blindness of sending these potential criminals to New Zealand is comparable only to its . dishonesty to the native race, the pioneers and the youths themselves. In Parkhurst, Where temptations were suspended, trades were taught, and subject to reasonable discipline they ‘ were comfortable and happy. Released from such care they simply went to the dogs, and sent others there.

In a dispatch to Captain Hobson on August 14, 1839, Lord Normanby said: “The character of a penal settlement shall not be extended to New Zealand. This is to be a fundamental principle of the new colony.” War Now for Peace After.

Upon his arrival in New Zealand in March, 1934, the first utterance of the world famed Krishnamurti concluded with words to this effect. “I would eliminate all nations and religions. How could there possibly be real human unity under a nationalistic system? How can we hope for a real brotherhood of man under a multitude of diverse creeds?” Asked if his teachings were upsetting to orthodox Christians, he replied, “I hope so.” - Having in view the fact that complete unison was the first and only means of redeeming the Maori from the thraldom of strife, the missionaries of two dissimilar creeds wisely agreed to leave in abeyance all those little “nothings” which really constitute denominational (in name only) differences. To their credit, and to the great advantage of real Christianity among the Maori converts, this attitude was faithfully observed for the first twenty years. Another ten years would, have seen the Maori race within one fold, freed permanently from the strife of creed.

But alas, there came from overseas the instrument of bitter orthodox strife on one side, earnestly and strenuously protested against, without avail, on the other. A line of distinction between the teachers was at once drawn, followed quickly by the converts. One was not permitted, as formerly, to partake of the sacrament with the other. Marriage and baptism by one were ignored by the other. The’ natural result of such strife was to engage the native forms of Christian converts in bitter personal enmity. They had forsaken their ancient savage feuds for a no less deadly enmity, bom of the teachings of some who professed meekness and mercy. Old time Maori wrongs were promptly ended by explanation and reparation. Religious feuds are endless—they are too absurd for explanation or compromise.

In April and May, 1844, three eloquent appeals appeared in the Southern Cross newspaper, Auckland, from the pen of a New Plymouth clergyman, earnestly beseeching the other’ side to revert to the good old simple “rule by agreement” which had done so much for these impressionable people. It was of no avail. In utter despair- the Maoris took refuge from such contradictory professions in their Hauhau religion, and declared a war of extermination against them all.