CONTEMPORARY OPINION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8553, 22 May 1895, Page 2

CONTEMPORARY OPINION.

The Maori t>f To-Day. (Marton Mercury.) . The Premier hiti the* right pail pn the head at Patra the other day, wh«u Jw Mid the young natives of to-d»T,.;w^re tbom expert in their handling of tfie billiard cue than in, the me of the plough and the mm. The fact if that the average young Maori} ' of to-day is inosb abominably, iniy and thriftless, thinking only o^ what immediate pleasure be may., obtain horse/ J racing, football, billiard playing and to bo,'«fl and far too little of the fatore. .FartoolH frequently the money which goes to f.he'C < natiysi m the prooe»d» o£ land gold or 1 leawd by them i» •qu»ndered,iD hotel* and . ' billiard-room* and on the, raeecoanM, whioh ' are now to be found »catterad all ot«j? the . country. In olden day*' the<- yonag men were set to work by their elder* on the ' ooltiration of the land, ..but ia how many. ;■ -pahs along thi* ,po»jßt »ro ther ooltiratioa " patohe* oE any extent. Itpteftd of »teadily - pawning . agriooltunil work, for which, i . under proper direction, Jbba natlre*> ar»> peouHwly suited, w^firia.tS*. young and- • italwait amongit th« JUCaon* loafing round the towoihipa, aping thefoUiet and rice* of • the European, and learinft the , work: to he ■ done by the old men and. th».. woman folk., Mr Seddon said the right' thing when he , denounced the atupid custom, *ofrßqnently indulged in by the natives, of .ronoing up - and down tht oout, ti»iting the. other . " hapns," and impoT«ri»hing eaoh other by ' ■enieleH "fewts," and wasting timeJwhioh ought to be spent on.reprodnotire work 4a ni»le»* koreros. It would, b« wall- were the. '" nitiTet to", take, to hear|< the >nvinently.. practical adTi«egiTenUi*m by thfPremJeft.". ■ Idleneu and. extraTagariQe. , whether, ; |r^^ dulged in by, tka \nhite.or '.hrown^raoe, eao - * " only have one result poyerty.aodfiuwy. _, -^ '