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sown in grass and well fenced into small paddocks. The stock is looking very well and healthy, and I think the Maori will eventually make a. good farmer. (i. Tohungaism. I am pleased to report that 1 have not heard of the existence of any tohunga ill the above county, but there is a Native doctor in the person of Dr. Tutere Wircpa. to whom most of the Natives go (or advice, which hi' freely gives. Remarks. In my opinion, the only way to increase and save the race from extinction or absorption is to stop their intermarriage with Europeans. On the whole. I found Native mothers as good as their European sisters in the rearing of their children, thanks to the training, in the case of young mothers. they received at schools. Cook Count//. -Sub-enumerator C. Ferris, jun. The Maori people, on the whole, are in good health, and. from my knowledge of I he number of Maori children, the birth-rate is decidedly on the increase. The children are strong and healthy, and the elder Maoris also enjoy good health. Mode iij Living. The greater number of the Maoris are living on European principles. They are all now living in my district in wooden cottages, the thatched raupo whare being a thing oi the past. The different Maori families arc also living by themselves in their cottages, and not. as of old. several families living together in the big wharcpunis. Enteric Fever. ! regrel to report that a number of Maoris contracted fever during last summer. and the disease has been spreading right up till last month. The cause of this was. in my opinion, the extraordinary long dry season. The watercourses, creeks, wells, .and tanks got infected and contaminated with insects, flies, and vermin, the Maori houses and grounds being fairly clean. The original cause of the outbreak could not have originated except by the causes referred to. The fever having once broken out, the mischief began. Contagion followed, owing to the Maori people not knowing tin- danger and the secret of guarding and combating against it. To further assist tin' spread of the disease, the Maori tohungos, 1 regrel to say. advised the stricken Natives and relatives the opposite to that of European doctors. The tohungos are a curse to the Maori race. and. in my opinion, they are far more dangerous to the health of the Maori people than the diseases that affect them. Recommendation. To light' against tohungos and any (lunger of the race dying out. I would recommend and ask the Government's assistance in erecting Maori cottage hospitals. The Maoris. I am certain, if properly advised and the matter properly explained, would rather collect money by way of huis. and subscribe to the upkeep thereof, than collect for churches, meeting-houses. &C. I, together with my tribes. Teitanga-Hauiti and Whanaiiarua. will take the first opportunity to raise means for the ere,,ion of one hospital at Hauiti, Tolaga Bay. The upkeep of this hospital for the time being could be done by way of subscription. Several wealthy European sheep-farmers who have the interest of the Maori people at heart would willingly subscribe towards it. Tohungaism. —l would ask thai more stringent laws be enacted by Parliament regulating these butchers of the Maori people, and in so doing can assure you I hat 1 am voicing the opinion of the whole Maori race, except the to/inngas themselves. They are. as I have said, far worse than diseases. To quote an instance, four Maori children were killed practically by one of these fiends. The children had. after an attack of fever, become convalescent, and. as usual in such cases, commenced to crave for solid food. Against the advice of European friends and doctors, the tohunga came and ridiculed the idea of giving them no solid food for a. time. He gave them pipis and other like foods, resulting in almost instant death. Farming. —l am pleased also to report thai the Maori people have taken a great interest in farming. They are. in fact, bom farmers, and are more adapted for that kind of work than any other work. The great check, however, in the progress in the Maori farming is the want of capital to improve and stock their lands. Maori Birth-rate. —I am also pleased to state that the Maori people are on the increase. As I pointed out in my last report. Maoris with European blood have more children than the full-blooded Maori. The pure Maoris are very lack in this respect. Remarks. —1. Not many Maoris died of fever. Maoris who were nursed in the European way recovered iii almost every case. (2.) I regret to say t hat the Maori tattoo experts arc still tattooing the Native girls and women. 1 recently saw sonic women freshly tattooed, and this sort, of practice should be stopped by law. (3.) The influence of our Maori Health Council is to a great extent responsible for the change in Maori life, and our village committees have burnt most of the raupo whares. Diseases. —1 would recommend that the Sanitary Inspector for the County of Cook he appointed to supervise and inspect the Maori houses, and advise the rules of sanitation: also that Dr. Buck or Dr. Wircpa he appointed to go round the various Maori districts to advise on sanitation. The costs and expenses of this could he paid out of our Maori Health Council's funds. Wairoa Count// (Pari). Sub-enumerator •/. //. Mitchell. 1 met with considerable opposition to the work of taking the census, especially in the backblocks. some Natives expressing a fear thai when the Government found they were few in numbers steps would be taken to exterminate them ; others were afraid of additional taxation or the seizure of their lands by the Government. These ideas I found most difficult to overcome. However, alter a great deal of trouble, and with time and patience. I obtained all the information required. I am certain no pakeha collector could have so succeeded. In districts where education has made reasonable progress I found the Natives quite willing to afford all the information in their power. A good deahof mis understanding could have been avoided if the Census Department had sent to every Maori Council about six months before the census period full explanations in the Maori language, and this could have been distributed by the Council to every marae (village).