Abstract:
The purpose of this small work is to give the reader a closer view of the thoughts and every day life of that interesting personality, the author of "Old New Zealand", Judge Maning.
Mr. James Cowan has said in the New Zealand Railways
Magazine of 1 July 1933, that casual writers and speakers on New
Zealand frequently refer to Judge Maning, as the writer who had
the most profound knowledge of the Maori and who best described
Maori habits and thoughts. In continuing, he says that the
truth about Maning, is that – apart from his intimate knowledge
of land tenures and history and related subjects – he was a
dealer in superficialities.
Generally speaking, this thesis opposes this view of
Maning and attempts to offer reasons why this conclusion has been
reached.