The Distressed Maori

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIV, Issue 13, 29 March 1906, Page 1

The Distressed Maori

The pctato-blight has hit the Maori here and there as it did full many a time on a vaster scale tho peasant in Green lErin of the Tears. The black flag of famine *s all too well Known in the most distressful country, and it seems as if it is to be planted among some of the Maori communities on the Wanganui River. Here is a ccmmunication which we have received from Father J. Milliard, S.M., the pastor of Jerusalem, Wanganui River :—: —

' Thanks for your insertion of a letter of mine in the " Tablet " some time ago. Through it, I received from different friends (to whom I hereby return my sincere thanks) the sum of £6 8s for the distressed Nathes. Just now they are eating sparingly the few potatoes they have left. They gather the blighted ones and steep them in a pool of water to rot,, in order to have for the winter what they call " kotero." This is an old IVlaori way of using decayed potatoes, &nd it makes a most repulshe food. 'At Jerusalem, besides the Natives, we have eighteen orphans to look after ; and out of an acre and a half of ground the Sisters in charge of them got six bags of potatoes. These will last four weeks. After that, the Sisters wonder how they are to feed their little charges. We pray that God will put it into the hearts of "some generous friends to send some help. It would be most gratefully received by the hard-wrought Sisters, whose hearts) are sore with anxiety for tho little orphans. 1

Here is a plea whose simple and unstudied eloquence should grip every jheart that is open as day for melting charity. We only venture to add, on our own account, that the speedy g;ift will spare much anxiety and suffering ; and to express the hope that the orphans will be promptly and amply provided for, and that the Maori, little and big, will shortly be placed beyond the dread alternatives of hunger unappeased or homoeopathic -doses of rotten ' kotero.' Irish people — at least those who remember ' Black 'Forty-seven,' or even the lesser calamities of ' seven ty-ni no— can appreciate the depth of meaning that is hidden in the old Spanish proverb : ' All sorrows are bearable if there is bread.'