New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-02

or the educated young Maori. as expressed at
conference held short time ago OF the Stu
dents Association attached TO the Maori College
at TIE Anti, Hawkes. Bay. sThe papers read at
this conference have been published as pam
phlet, ana they give a striking picture Of the
NJ lori fin de steele. All the young men who took
part in this conference have been educated
European lines. and several Of them hold profess
sional positions in NeW-Zealand. All are prac-
tcally Of the same opinion, and their tale is in
deed a gloomy one. The number OF MaOris is
steadily declining, and, although they readily
attend the Government schools and acquire the
rudiments of English education, few of them
derive any lasting profit therefrOm. Ninety per
cent OF the Maori population over sixteen years
OF age can read and write. and the majority
speak English fairly well; but in most cases the
boys and girls after learning the rudments at
school. go back to their villages and lapse into
degradation. One Of the masters at the TIE Anti
College states that 80 per cent OF the students
who have left the college return TO their homes
only TO become a curse TO their people and
make worse citizens than those who remained
at home in ignorance.
Mr. POutawera a clerk in the Native Land
Court at Wellington, says unhestatingly that
the standard OF morality is lower to-day than il
has ever been, and that 1t is likely to fall lower
still II nothing is done TO stop il. He declares
that the present system Of education is futile,
because ii leads TO nothing practical. and he
urges the establishment of technical and agr-
cultural schools 10 teach the youthful natives
either how to make use Of their lands or how
to use their hands and brains to the best ad
vantage Mr.. Apirama Turupa Ngata. who is
well NJ. A. and IL. b. Of the New
Zealand University, says: Time was when cir
cumstances permitted our people a happy and
even a healthy existence with the minimum Of
labor. They cultivated their kumara and taro
fields at their leisure. they fshed they shared
birds, now and then they fought. But their
needs were few and little labor supplied them
all leaving ample leisure for the study OF my
tholcgy. Then the pakeha came. and brought a
new and a strange and restless civilization.
Through q century that civilization. which is
has sod ir71 ctrH has how, ne a. no hraq
lessly till to-day our existence depends on the
readiness with which we adapt ourselves to 1t.
To-day We find We must be Industrious as the
English are we must no longer be content to
lead a haphazard, mprovident life. depending
the Indulgence OF our communstic system.
With the settlement OF our lands by the English
our wants have multiplied, though We have not
yet learned the means to satisfy them. With
continuous and steady employment our educa-
ton VIII no longer be wasted. When mind and
body fully occupied with healthy work the
devil IN us will be compelled to cease his
prompuncs. our annual turnout # school boys
and girls VIII no longer wander YEARLY round
the village seeking relief from the dead monot-
ony Of their life in eXcitements that harm body,
mind and soul" Mr. Ngata's ideal is, unfortu-
nately, too hsh and 1t Is hardly likely 10 be
realized until the millennium. for the average
Maori has ~ ambition to have his mind and
body gully occupied with healthy work and Is
perfectly content 10 live on his rents and the
profits Of his lands
INDIAN 80 WORK. INDIAN no EAT"
Ny Ngatas idea Of the benefit of work in
overcoming the tendency Of barbarans to absorb
the vices OF civilization rather than its virtues
and practise them. in obedience to the law that
the devil finds some mischief still for idle hands
to DO IS being put in practice among the red
men Of the plains. The Kansas City Times"
tells how the Indians are made to work.
correspondent at Guthrie. Okla. writes:
Major Woodson. agent Of the Cheyennes and
Arapahoes, IS endeaVOring 10 teach the lnlidGl
how TO work lie is succeeding fairly we'll but
has found il necessary TO adopt drastic meas
ures. Indian no work Indian no eat is one
Of the rules laid down. II an Indian wants "a
tons he must work. Some Of them hold out for
several days but il soon becomes monotOnOus
and they yield. The Major has also issued an
order making education Of Indian children com
pulsory The children must go to school in order
10 draw rations. IL they don't go they don't re-
ceive any support from the Government. These
new rules are original with the Major ana they
are working admirably
Major WOodson finds that the chiefs are the
hardest to handle. They have A notion that
no more favors for them than for common Ind
ians All Indians look alike TO him, and the
chiefs as well the bucks must work IN oIdeI
TO get rations. The chiefs objected Tor WINE
hut thev had TO come to IT, Oklahoma raised
big crop Of cotton this year, and II has been
found that an Indian is adapted 10 the work OF
negro cotton picker cards and spades and then
beat him. This is the principal work they 90 70
earn ratons The Indian children also nave 10
pick while not at school
A MOJAVE BOY ON MEDICINE MEN.
And yet even such training can hardly stay
the workings of the law which drives the IN
ferior race to the wall. When il is recalled how
Inadequate were the means Of livelihood OF the
Indians and how much better their care is now
with all the annoyance and disadvantage that
contact with whites brings, 1t is evident that