An Interesting Proposal by Mr Thorpe.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3677, 12 November 1912, Page 4

An Interesting Proposal by Mr Thorpe.

Hoiv best to try and make the whole of the Natives an industrial race is a problem which for a long time engaged a good deal of attention. In the case of Maoris who are the owners of suitable ! areas of land, the difficulty does not j appear to be so great. No doubt in time State advances will be freely made to enable Native lands to be profitably worked in the same way as is now done with reference to Crown and European lands. But what about the lot or those Natives who in addition to being anything but prosperous are noted chiefly for their idleness? 1 he gospel of work has, of course, also been preached with a view to their salvation. As is well-known, however, something more than mere theory in this regard is necessary, and that is why.much headway has not yet been made. Now it seems that Mr Thorpe, who is a prominent member of Die District Engineer’s staff: has been reflecting upon the absence of a sufiicient incentive to the casual Native worker and the Native loafer to become industrious workers—or in other words to join with the pakehas in building up the resources of the Dominion. He holds for example that the Natives as a race are not inherently incapable of sustained effort. Where the pakeha was at fault was in that when lie removed the authority and discipline of the chiefs lie substituted nothing. Being without incentive, the Maori took the line of least resistance ((►—and loafed, and has in greater or loss degree loafed ever since! The remedy-according to Mr Thorpe, who by the way is himself a very capable half-caste—is to overcome the paralysing nnd down-dragging influences of the pah and communistic living. With that object in view not only must the Maori be persuaded that work alone will be his salvation, but the work must bo provided and the State must see that ho is taught to perform it. h or a start Mr Thorpe suggests that railway building works should be tried and in this connection he urges that a. section should be commenced at Wairoa, where there are a large number of indigent Natives. If, he says, none but Maoris were employed on the section (excepting pakeha gangers) and the conditions of employment were similar to those offered to the workers on (say) the Otoko section, the system would prove very beneficial all round. Most people will no doubt share the view of Mr Thorpe that there is no reason in the world why the Maoris should not perform just as avcll as workers of other nationalises in construction of earthworks, midge-work, concrete work, brick vork, tunnelling, etc., etc. In this •egard he should of course be able to tpoak with authority, for in addition o having had a splendid opportunity , >f studying the characteristics of the Maoris, he has seen in his capacity ' is a railway engineer how much has '] icon doiae with the aid of native labor j n China and in South Africa. Ho lias : ilso outlined his views as to what tops might be taken to make the ; Maoris so employed comfortable and , lappy. Although the Government may ] lot see its way to at once adopt the ] uggestion made by Mr Thorpe, we mvo no doubt that as time goes on | ndigent and indolent Natives will j

have to he encouraged by the State to participate in public works and other work on somewhat similar lines to those which he has put forward.