THE MAORI FARMER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2562, 24 July 1909, Page 5

THE MAORI FARMER.

GOSPEL OF WORK

“A great advance lias been made by tlie Maoris in many directions during tlie past few years,” said Dr. Buck, M.P., for the Northern District, to a ‘■New Zealand Herald’' representative. “Through the instrumentality of the Health Department in promising sanction and the work of the Maori Councils the conditions of living throughout the Maori villages have considerably improved, and the Maoris are beginning to realise that the keynote of "progress lies in working the land. You can understand that in the case of the Maoris, with totally different customs and ideas, they naturally look upon this question from a very dilferent . standpoint from tlie_ Europeans. The development of the Native lands strikes the European as the obvious and only solution of the Maori problem, but it is not so obvious to the Maori. Now, however, the Maoris are beginning to . see that their future welfare lies m work and in developing their lands, which I consider is a great advance. What the Young Maori party says is that the Maori must work, and that he must work on his own land, but the means and methods by which this is to be accomplished have not been considered by the party, and it has really ■not had the time. That really devolves .upon the politicians. My own opinion is that the first use of much of the Maori lands should be devoted to the benefit of the Maori, that is, that he -should be trained to become a farmer, and that the opportunity should be civen to him first to. work his lands. Then, if it is found that the Maori has more land than he can work, it remains to be considered wliat to do with it. No one realises more than myself that it the Maori does not work he will degenerate.” ■■'