THE WAITANGI SITE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 16, 29 October 1932, Page 6

THE WAITANGI SITE.

MAORIS DESIRE TO ERECT A MEMORIAL. (Special to the “Guardian ”) AVELLINGTON, October 28. The desire of the Ngapuhi tribe to erect .an appropriate memorial on the site of the signing of the Treaty of AVaitangi, .which was recently presented to the nation by his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe), was mentioned by the Minister for Native Affairs (the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata) when he spoke -in the Budget debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon.

Sir Apirana explained that during his last visit to the North Auckland district the members of the Ngapuhi tribe had intimated that they would like to see some memorial on the spot where the Treaty of Waitangi was Eigned. No money was available, hut he had pointed out that the centenary qf the signing of the treaty was eight years off. The Ngapuhis were milking 1000 cows, and he had suggested that they should set aside 5s a cow a year in order to build up a memorial fund. If that were done there would be £2OOO in hand when the centenary came round. ft had been suggested that the memorial should take the form of a carved meeting-house, that would be handed oyer to the nation.

Sir Apirana suggested that Mr E. T. Tirikatene should endeavour to obtain the co-operation of the Ratana Party in this project, rind if this were forthcoming ho was sure that a memorial could be erected worthy of the gift of his Excellency. %