AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENT. 173 



It seems to me such a course is as impossible as it is unwise. For- 

 tunately there were those in high places who thought so too. Our 

 present Administrator goes everywhere and holds meetings of 

 Natives. He has seen things for himself, and he has supported all 

 sound endeavours to bring about an improvement. Our Native 

 Department has helped in many ways ; the missionaries have sought 

 to uplift and inspire. But until recent years there has been 

 no special organisation to co-ordinate these efforts, and to 

 direct a definite policy. In 1918 a recommendation was made 

 that the Government should appoint a Director of Native 

 Development. This was acted upon, and after my long leave in 

 England, during which I spent some time investigating the simpler 

 types of industries, and conferring with men of experience in 

 native administration and industrial development in different parts 

 of the world, I was appointed to my present position. On request 

 I wrote a report on my investigations, embodying therein my 

 recommendations, and this after being presented to the Legisla- 

 tive Council was used as the basis of the experiment. 



The root idea of the scheme was that an attempt should be- 

 made to get at the people in the mass in their homes, and 

 endeavour to lift them little by little, and as much as possible all 

 together. It was felt that though after a time the higher educa- 

 tion which can be given at Institutions may be needed, the foun- 

 dations should be laid right down among the simple home con- 

 ditions. The home buildings need improving, the crude agricul- 

 ture needs instruction, the simple village handicrafts need examina- 

 tion, and, if found worth it, encouragement. It was felt that the 

 Government should identify itself more directly in the uplift of 

 the people. It would mean slow, and for a time unproductive 

 work. Only Government could afford to take the pecuniary risk 

 that the long view involves, but because of its educational and 

 political value it should undertake it. If the mind of the people 

 could be stirred, and if the general standard could be raised gradu- 

 ally, there might be expected not only great physical progress, but 

 such an improved mental consciousness that the people would not 

 bo so easy a prey for the educated agitator. Racial friction might 

 be lessened, and because of their occupation the people might be 

 kept from discontent, and become interested in their home life. 



It must be remembered that we are concerned with a people 

 that is as yet largely untouched. They live for the most part in 

 a more or less communal way in the Reserves. They have been 

 given large areas of land for their exclusive occupation. They can, 

 if they know how, develop their own communities and institutions, 

 where in time, and as they show themselves fitted, they may be 

 given a measure of local government, thus affording scope for those 

 more ambitious spirits that in the outer world might be a source 

 of trouble. But they must first be taught to put their land to 

 better use. We must see to it that before the position becomes 

 too difficult they, and their children, are put into the way of using 

 this land to good advantage, are shown how by their industry thev 



