"Maori Day” 1953

White Ribbon, Volume 25, Issue 7, 1 October 1953, Page 5

"Maori Day” 1953

Liquor in the King Country

I During the early days of W.CT.U. activities lj n New Zealand an interest was soon taken in ■unr Maori people and this has been maintained ■throughout the years. Each year, during the month If October, in particular, Unions remember this ■department of our work. I Interest is shown in prayer for them, the ■sending qf literature and Temperance leaflets and ■parcels to Deaconesses and workers amongst the ■ Maori people. Collections are taken in our Unions land sent to our Dominion Treasurer for Maori |work. ... . , I Personal contact, with kindness and sympathy, I often helps, to smooth out a difficult place. We lare pleased to have our Maori Union at Te ■ Kuiti and note the efficient running of their work. IWe are proud of the Hostels in Auckland and [elsewhere where young people find a Christian | Home and where some are trained to become | workers to carry the message of our Saviour’s [love back to their own people. Then, too, there is our pwn hostel in Auckland I where 24 girls live under healthy, happy conditions land arc sheltered from the evils of city life. Never in our history have there been so many temptations to lead young people, especially A[aori youth into evil ways. We are gravely concerted about the position, but let us never forget that we have a place of power. Nothing is impossible with our Heavenly Father, “Prayer changes things.” While many can never go far away from home, we are never far from the place of prayer. The Liquor Que*tion The Maori Race is facing a time of readjustment. They need our love and encouragement, our patient understanding, while they are striving to set out a new standard of life. Tor many years past, Maori leaders and Chiefs have been greatly concerned with the position created by the Liquor Question. They realised the danger of alcoholic beverages being made available to their own people. From meetings of leading Maoris, they have sent petitions from time to time to our Government, asking for protection from t ravages of Strong Drink. The Government of earlier days realised the need for granting some help and so made it possible for certain enactments to be enforced to this end. The benefits were very quickly npticed as the Maoris regained their strength. The King Country Pact For years past, discussions have taken place regarding Liquor in the Ring Country and the existence of the Maori Pact. At the present time, this issue is again exercising the minds of Maori leaders and Temperance people. Concerning this Pact, it is necessary to understand the historical position, and - here we quote from the Statement written bv Mr. H. W. Milner, General Superintendent of the N.Z. Alliance. Wellington:— “Following on the Waikato war, the Maoris retreated undefeated into the King Country, where for ten year*' they retained complete isolation in the 6,270 square miles of territory, comprising 4i million acres. Their possession was absolute and they had the Treaty of Waitangi, the second

article of which reads:—‘Her Majesty, the Queen of England, confirms and guarantees to the Chiefs and tribes of New Zealand, and to the respective families and individuals thereof, the full, exclusive and undisturbed right of their lands, and estates, forests, fisheries and other properties, which they may collectively or individually possess, so long as it is their wish and desire to retain the same in their possession.’ “They would not sell, they would not deal with Land Courts; they would not let surveyors in, they would not let white people in and the Queen’s writ did not run; they adopted complete isolation. They were sullen and determined, because of the grossly unjust treatment they had received from the Government. ' “Several Commissions revealed that the Government had been in the wrong. T bis complex and tense situation with the threat of further outbreak of war at any time, coupled with the isolation of this large block of land in the heart of the North Island, holding up the Main Trunk Railway, roading and settlement, created a very difficult position. It could only be solved by conquest or negotiation, and many leading statesmen, including Sir George Grey, Sir Robert Stout, Sir Donald McLean, Dr. Pollen, and Julius Vogel, were most definitely against further attack upon the Maoris. “The Government were forced by pressing circumstances to negotiate and the credit goes to Sir George Grey, Sir D. McLean, Mr. Bryce, John Ballance, and Sir Robert Stout for the ultimate success of the negotiations. ... A change of Government took place and Sir Robert Stout, with Ballance as Native Minister, took office in September, 1884. “Wahanui was sent to* Wellington to secure the things they had agreed to and during December, a Bill was passed, giving complete amnesty to all Maoris; another secured mining rights and a Proclamation was gazetted (Dec. 1884.) defining the 4i million acres and prohibiting licenses therein, at the request of the Maori owners.’ “On April 14th, IKSi, Sir Robert Stout proceeded to the King Country for the turning of the first sod to commence the Railway. Before the ceremony, there was a two hours’ discussion, concerning which, Sir Robert StoiU said in his speech in Wellington \ . . the native* wished to know if the Government would continue the prevention of alcohol being brought into the Rohe Potae Dishict. I told them that 1 pledged the Government to that effect and that the Government had already carried out that promise, made to Wahanui, by the Gazette notice of December.’ “We therefore have this position. THAT THERE WAS A BARGAIN MADE BETWEEN THE MAORIS AND THE GOVERNMENT that this District was to be kept free from the sale of spirituous liquors. That wa» our bargain and 1 might say, that this bargain has often been referred to by the Maoris, since. “The question under consideration is not a political one, but a moral one. . . . Are we to break our bargain made with them? We obtained their territory on this condition. No jflcoholic liquor was to be sold in that district.

“ ‘And what will be thought of us if the future historian of New Zealand has to record that we made a solemn pact with the Natives, and that we afterwards repudiated it? I feel sure we will not agree to that repudiation/ said Sir Robert. “Sir Robert Stout’s historic speech was in 1923 and in 1924. he submitted himself, as a witness, in the capacity of a private citizen, before the second Hockley Parliamentary Committee. He said:—‘Mr. Ballancc met the Natives and said there would be no liquor. They said, “Very well, the line is to he opened, there is no liquor to b** sold in this district.” ’ Question: ‘Did you give, at that time, any assurance on behalf of the Government, that the arrangement would hold good for all time—that is the point?’ Answer: ‘I understood that it was to hold good for all time.’ ‘‘lt is difficult to understand how r and w’hy Sir Davis Smith should try to sweep the Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G., aside and treat him as an unreliable witness. Even if he were the sole witness, it is unthinkable, but his statements are fully corroborated by others. ". . . The Maoris, themselves firmly believe that there was a Pact, which they deemed sacred. Princess Tc Puea in her lifetime and the descendants of such well-known chiefs as Rewi Maniapoto and Wahanui have fought to keep liquor out of the area.

“The Hon. T. C. Webb said in the House:— ‘Rut in any event, even if it were conceded that there was a pact, and that the understanding was to remain for all time, there is nothing ever to debar two parties to a bargain f rom agreeing to cancel it.’ (Hansard p. 4,218.) “Rut that is entirely different to one of the parties being in the box seat (for the time being), imposing a combined vote in which the said party in the box seat has 19,500 voters and the other party which desires to maintain the Pact, has only 3,500 voters. There is something repugnant to the British mind in such coercion. . . . * “l suggest that, in the face of the vast amount of historical evidence (of which this is but a very small part) that the Government either:— “(1) Drop their unjust proposal and strengthen the hand* of the Maori leaders or “(2) Immediately appoint an Arbitrator —the King Country Maoris to appoint another, and the two to appoint a third (as convener) to investigate the whole question thoroughly and publicly, and make a pronouncement. “Facing these things being done. I suggest that we ascertain from the-Maoris, whether the\ are going on with the proposal to petition the Queen on the occasion of her Royal visit to this country. And, this being the case, we give them our full support.” As W.C.T.U. members, the King Country question concerns us. By prayer and protest, let us he whole hearted in our efforts to prevent this iniquitous treatment acainst our Maori people. M. LONG (Auckland), (Formerly Matron, W.C.T.U. Maori Girls’ Hostel.)