The World of Work

3.14 This situation contrasts with that obtaining in the earlier part of the period, when the local economy was booming thanks to gold and timber, when competition from a smaller Pakeha population would have been less acute and when public works jobs were used as an inducement to sell land. Puckey reported in 1878 that there was a good deal of road and bridge construction in the Thames county using Maori labour (which was generally satisfactory). Those taking this work were 'Natives who have always stood by us'; they had met with opposition from other Maori who belonged to 'the anti-progress party'. Maori were also at work on the construction of the road south from Coromandel; Puckey believed that opposition to road building was declining (AJHR 1878 GIA).

3.15 In the following year Puckey reported, with some pessimism, that Hauraki Maori would not 'settle down to industrial habits' as long as they had land left 'to hypothecate to settlers or storekeepers'. As if to contradict himself, he went on to say 'But they do like employment in making roads ... it would be good sound policy to employ them always in forming lines of road ... over their own land.' The prospect of work of this kind had been held out at the highest government level: 'I may say they are anxiously waiting for employment on the Thames and Waikato Railway, in accordance with promises made them by the Hon. the Native Minister [John Sheehan], and which have been of material assistance to myself in acquiring the land for the line of railway... at a very reasonable rate.' (AJHR 1879 GD. This adds another dimension to the expectations of shared benefit held out to Maori as an inducement to co-operate and as a means of getting good terms for the government.

3.16 A number of factors appear to have caused a shrinkage of this kind of employment for Maori towards the end of the century. The retrenchment of the 188os brought a decline in government and local body spending on public works; this may have increased the dependence of Maori on the gum industry, though there is some suggestion that they preferred it, at least when prices were good. With the growth of Pakeha unemployment in the 188os, the practice of giving preference to Pakeha job seekers would have grown. Puckey and Wilkinson both report on the adverse effects of retrenchment (AJHR 1878 GIA, 1881 G8). The evidence for an element of discrimination has been noted above. An additional scrap of evidence suggests that Maori were aware of that. In 1899 Manaia Maori offered to help build a bridge for their school and insisted that the work 'must not be given to a Pakeha' (BAAA row 297a). But too extreme a picture should not be drawn; some Maori would have continued in this sort of work; in 1908 it is recorded that Te Kerepehi parents were employed on drainage works many miles from the school (BAAA 1001 596b). Such employment probably provided further opportunities in the early zoth century when the Piako swamps were bring drained WEIR 1911 H14A).

The kauri gum industry

3.17 By the 189os conditions of work on the gumfields were notorious enough to prompt the appointment of two Royal Commissions of inquiry, which reported in 1893 and 1898. Neither held hearings in the southern districts but they do report some

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