MAORI CONGRESS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2244, 16 July 1908, Page 3

MAORI CONGRESS.

OPENED IN WELLINGTON. A BIG GATHERING. [Press Association.] WELLINGTON, July,ls. . Not since tho Treaty of Waitnngi was signed, with tho possible exception of the Rotorua assemblage when the Duke and Duchess of York visited New Zealand, his ' there been brought together shell, an unique and representative gathering of prominent Maoris as that seen in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The occasion'was the official opening of the .Maori Congress. Several leading citizens and their wives attended to witness the proceedings. His Excellency the Governor was welcomed with a stirring Maori war cry of greeting, find with him arrived on the platform Sir Robert Stout (President .of tho Congress), who took the chnir ; the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph At ard), the Native .Minister (Air. Jas. Carroll), 'and Air. James Allen, AI.P. There were also on tho platform Lady Stout, Lady Ward, and the Alnyoress (Airs. T. W. Hislop). Sir Robert Stout briefly thanked tho Alaoris for having appointed him chairman, saying that ho folt it a greit honor to bo presont at tho opening of the Conference. His Excellency tho Govornor briefly welcomed the delegates and others present, ami Sir Joseph Will’d and Mr. Jas. Allen (for Air. Alassoy) also spoke. hWle Houheu Toikino, tho.noted’TauMr. A. T„>Ngntn, AI.P., For freghtihiriiJis r latter saying jj was devised with the uT3a*of bringing tho best among the Alaoris into contact with the best among tho Europeans. Quaint musical items wero contributed at intervals by tho Rotorua Maori entertainers, and by the East Coast Natives.

Maori farming,, agricultural education, and cortain aspects of tho N«tivo. land question were discussed at the . Congress to-day. The topic was introduced by Air. Ngata, AI.P., who spoke of the great improvement in sheep-farming which had become apparent amongst tho Alaoris of Waiapu and Cook Counties. There wore now nearly 120,000 head of sheep owned by Aiaoris in those districts, numbering from SOO to 900 in each flock. Intelligence was shown in the selection and care of sheep, is is shown by the fact that an increase from 4flb of wool clipped per sheep to 7lH> had been effected within the last ten years, and there had been an increase in the.area of land brought under cultivation, equal to one and a half times the area that was in cultivation a decide ago. At Potuwai there was splendid progress being made in agriculture, and recently they sent away from there COO sacks of maize. (Applause.) ’ Ruataki, in the Urewera country, was a centre where excellent dairying work .vas being done by the Alaoris. There wore £2OOO worth of cheese stored there when he last visited the place, the Alaoris had clearly proved their ability to do dairy-farming, and it was desirable that the Government dairy experts should visit tho Alaori centres and give them the benefit of advice and direction. So far, he had never known that to be done. The Alaoris in the north h id been handicapped by tho distractions and temptations of the bimard saloons and notols around the gum diggings. The gum diggings had been « great drag upon the Alaoris (applause.),’ but now they were showing a desire to be more resourceful, and an improvement in their conditions was manifest. . It might be that some of them were still sliiftloss. Many of , those around Hokianga had not long emerged from i nomad condition, and they were easily disheartened by small financial difficulties, owing to their tendency to magnify the size of wliat was new to them, hut if they were properly guided and helped along right paths they would eventually make good progress, and benefit themselves and the country. It was not that they lacked courage. They would cheerfully and resolutely face any difficulty that they were used to, and of which they realised the full effect. The northern chiefs were helping the movement, and they were now doing work like their subjects. There was a new spirit moving the Alaoris along industrial lines, and the chiefs now took off their coats and worked with the view of inspiring their "people to emulation. It was no small thing that these chiefs had done, for it was reckoned degrading for a chief to work in the old days. At a Native Land Court it was once asked of a chief “Where are yoiir cultivations?’’ He laughed. “Where are they?” he replied. “There are my cultivations,” and by a wave of his hand he indicated his followers. Touching on tho Native land question, ho expressed an opinion that it would be better to keep Alaori lands (oven if locked up) than sell them, for he hoped that tho new spirit among the Alaoris would set up a strong demand for these lands amongst the young Alaori rnen. He was sorry to seo a disposition amongst the Maoris of Wanganui to sell and lease their lands as 'O. means of livelihood, instead of cultivating the lands for themselves, but he hoped the young men would alter that. He advocated communion farms, say. 200 acres, to be worked by one or two liapus at which the Government would give instruction (by its specialists) to the young men of the tribes in the science of land farming, dealing with the land from its virgin state and bringing it gradually up io its most profitable conditions. How to deal with the virgin areas was the question most material with the Alaoris. The Hon. It. McNah, Minister for Agriculture, said lie had been a close student of Alaori history, and hokenw that before the treaty of Wuitangi, before the British flag was first hoisted at WalTcaraka, the Alaoris used to grow great quantities of maize and other products for sale to Sydney whalers. Hu quite agreed with a statement by Air. Ngata that so long as the natives hid land to sell and were disposing of it they would not go in for cultivation of the-soil. The pakeha was just the same. The settlement of the land depended on the men who were in the towns, and were coming to the Government t 0 get the lands cut up for settlement. It was tho wage-earner who desired to be put up on the land, and many who held sections were content to Jive upon tlio sale of thorn or to let others do 'the working. Tlio Government had on intention to discriminate between Alaori.and pakeha. The result of enquiries .'by its experts as to pro-,/i-ess in this and other lands would be made avail able to all. The Alaori would he made able to start straight away on a proper . system of cultivation, instead of being left to himself to experiment and possibly waste h:s time and resources. He agreed with Air. Ngata that before the Alaori came to a higher pitch of agricultural development an agricultural college would be of small use. If a Alaori had to start at that, the chances were that ho would never get his breakfist. •.(Laughter.) He was impressed by Air. Ngata’s proposal, and he would promise, on behalf of tlio Agricultural Department, that they would supply instructors for tho young men who went to such a farm, provided the Alaoris would sot aside a suitable piece of land such as Air. Ngata had spoken of. (Applause.) Ho wanted the Alaoris t 0 remember that the Agricultural Department was just as much for their bepefit as it was for tho pakeha, and that when they needed information about agriculture, veterinary questions, or any other subject winch the Department dealt in, they need only make their wants known. The Minister was "desirous of seeing the Alaori regain tlie capacity for agriculture which made him in the early days the chief supplier to visitors.