39

a.—i

Converted into a college for the children of the districts north of Auckland. The last speaker has given you reasons which provide a fair justification for our request. I need not follow on the same ground. You were kind enough to say that you would deplore the decrease of the Native race. It is on that particular ground that the Natives will not send their children to the higher schools —to the colleges which are a distance away from them—because it has resulted in the death of so many of them, and it is apt to give rise to a feeling of prejudice entertained by the Native parents In regard to sending their children to any school but they have the hope that, in taking advantage of the education which is afforded to them, their children should reach the higher stages in education. They are naturally not satisfied with the ordinary education which is meted out, and, as a part of their hopes and aspirations, as has been told you, their children have been sent to a distant college, and many of them have never returned. It tends to destroy the enthusiasm which should and has existed in the Native mind—namely, to have their children cultured. I think it is pure waste of money if the children are limited to education in the primary schools—when they are afraid to allow their children to go a step beyond. This is a subject we have deliberated over and our deliberations have been submitted to all the other tribes of the Ngapuhi. The other people have indorsed our conclusions on this matter At the present time there are four such children who have passed the Fourth Standard. There will be others of other schools in different parts who have done likewise. Is it not hard not to be able to go a step beyond this for their advancement ? That is all I have to say, except to express the hope that the Premier will be blessed with a long life for his visit to us on this occasion. Hapakuku Moetara (chief of the district) I am very pleased indeed at the Premier and his colleague having visited this school, and I trust the Premier will see fit to support our desire and establish a higher school for the northern part of this Island. I have two children in this school who have passed the fourth standard, but for the reasons already stated I cannot send them to the other schools south. If you can see your way to devise some method by which our hopes and desires in regard to our children can be realised in the direction we want, we trust you will give countenance to it, or offer us some suggestion by which we can achieve our object. I am imbued with a very strong desire indeed that our children should benefit by education that they shall be in a position to secure all the advantages derived by the Europeans through education, that they will master the higher walks in life, and secure a position of a superior standard which is enjoyed by the children of the European race. It is a matter of great concern, to me to feel that my children have successfully advanced in this school to be in the Fourth Standard, and yet on account of my natural instincts in regard to their welfare I Cciimot send them to Te Aute College or St. Stephen's. That is the position, that is the feeling of us all—that our children wish to advance, and wish to progress , wish to learn all that is to be learned by the European children. Wo have already procured band instruments for them. That is all I have to say The master of this school will entertain you after we have dealt with this matter I must express pleasure at having seen you to-day, and I only hope that what we have laid before you to-day will bear fruit. The Premier I desire to express to you my very great pleasure at meeting you. The pleasure is all the greater because you havo broached a subject which I have given a great deal of consideration to, and you are going in the right direction in the interest of your race. I did say, and I again repeat, that it would be much better for the Native race if they would have less dogs and pay greater attention to their offspring, their children. The settlement here reflects great credit upon you, for I see, compared with the number of parents, a very great proportion of children , and I feel sure—and I am only stating what, if returns were carefully compiled, would be proved— that by sending children to school you prolong their lives. You promote cleanliness, improve their moral and social well-being, and give them an opportunity of holding positions which, if uneducated, it would be impossible for them to hold. There is no doubt whatever that, as the world progresses, and as we in this colony are likewise progressing, the uneducated will be the hewers of wood and drawers of water This applies to the Europeans just as much as it does to the Natives, and if the parents do not give their children education, then these children, when they arrive at maturity, will say that those parents did not do their duty to them as parents. Now, proportionately, we do not find the Native race represented either in the professions, the Civil Service, or the better class of trades in the colony The cause of this is not far to seek. They are as you are here in this locality. Parents in other parts I have travelled in are absolutely indifferent as regards the education of their children, and the most painful thing that has happened to me during my trip was at Hikonui, up the Waikato, where they told me they did not want schools, and the land that they had given for school purposes they wanted the Government to give back to them. I drew from it a comparison. I compared even your forefathers, when the Europeans first came amongst them—-I drew a comparison between the Europeans and the Natives—and they, your forefathers, knew very little about the outer world, but one of the things they stipulated for was that the Government would see to the education of their children. Now, it was said of them that they were barbarians ; but when we hear that remark it shows they took an interest in their race, and I say they were much more enlightened than thoso Natives up the Waikato who did not want schools for their children; and if there is anything above all others that I think should be fully recognised and full effect given thereto, it is the bond that was made as regards the education of the children of the Native race ■ and, so long as I have anything to do with guiding the destinies of this country, I shall prove my love for the Native race by giving every encouragement to them, and foster schools as much as we can compatibly with the revenue at our disposal. It cannot be said that the Native race is incapable of cultivation, because I have seen Native youths and men holding the very best positions. Now, as regards primary and secondary education, Ido not think that it is wise that we should have too many seeking to have the secondary education and filling the highest professions, for, as a rule, you will find the professions are now moro than filled sufficiently for the interest of the professions and those engaged therein, in fact, there are too many lawyers, too many doctors, and too many engaged in clerical work—or men who have had superior education fitting them for these positions. I find now that they are absolutely in a deplorable condition in the