174 AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENT. 



may better their own lot, and produce something that may be of 

 use to the country. 



As he is to-day the Native has little need for continuous work. 

 It is not with him as with us. He probably sees nothing wrong 

 in his way of living. But we surely without any hypocrisy must 

 feel it our duty to help him to realise some better ideal. At the- 

 same time frankly we want his co-operation in the establishment 

 of a prosperous community. If we put before him a simple form 

 of industrial improvement beginning at the bottom, springing from 

 those home industries which are already familiar to him, and 

 lifting him gradually through stages that are not beyond his 

 assimilation, we shall teach him gradually to feel and appreciate 

 the advantages of better conditions, and by .so doing foster a free 

 and reasonable inclination to go out into the world of labour, and, 

 because it brings him the means to provide himself with the com- 

 forts that he has learned to desire, to contribute his share to the 

 enterprise of the body politic. I emphasise this point, because I 

 feel that the critic, who has an uncomfortable fear that if he lends 

 his support to such a policy, fine and fair-minded as he may 

 acknowledge it to be, he will be imperilling both his and the 

 country's labour supply, should feel assured that our policy far 

 from decreasing the supply of labour, should actually increase it, 

 both in quantity and efficiency. 



Our plan, then, is to stimulate effort among the people, to 

 put purpose into their lives, and to develop simple industries, par- 

 ticularly those that do not offer direct competition with 

 Europeans. We hope, while improving the home life, to rescue 

 and develop some of the home crafts, and by this means to bring 

 into use the latent wealth of raw materials, which the country 

 undoubtedly possesses. The list of occupations in which instruc- 

 tion will be given is as follows: — (1) Building. (2) Agriculture. 

 (3) Stock. (4) Rope and Mat-making. (5) Basketry and Chair 

 work. (6) Pottery and Tiles. (7) Carpentry and Furniture. 

 (8) Smithing and Wagon repairing. (9) Medicine. All of these 

 should be regarded from the point of view of their value in the 

 uplift of the people, rather than in any sense of vocationalism. 

 They are not the end in themselves, but rather means to an end. 



Let me give some suggestions under the several heads. 



1. Building. — In order to wean the people from their present 

 insanitary and uninspiring home conditions we would teach them 

 some improved type of construction, that, while conforming to the 

 tests for sanitation and hygiene, shall not be too much removed 

 from their conception, nor too hard, nor too expensive, for them 

 to attempt. It is felt that one of the reasons why the Native does 

 not reproduce the better things he sees in large schools, and in 

 employment, is because the difference is often too great for him 

 to see any relation between them and his home possibilities. 

 The type of construction known as Pise-de-terre seems eminently 

 suited for the purpose. The only equipment needed is a few 

 planks, some bolts, and some sticks to ram the earth with. Most 

 soils, with sometimes a little mixing to give binding, or reduce 

 fattiness, are suitable, so that the bulk of the material can be 



