ARMED HAUHAUS ASSEMBLE NEAR RAWENE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 100, 29 April 1898, Page 3

ARMED HAUHAUS ASSEMBLE NEAR RAWENE.

EUROPEANS REMOVE* TO KOHU

KOHU

War fever is proverbially infectious, and ' one is not snrpvisea to hear that some of the Maoris have caught it. From Rawene, in the North, Inspector Hiekson received neAvs to-day that the Maoris there _re .-.'/' threatening a "hostile demonstration" npon the townsliip. The reason for/this • Beverance of diplomatic relations (as they say in Spain) is simply that a number of - the RaAvene natives- have, recently /been served Avith summonses for refusing to pay the dog tax. The Maori seems to have- a /rooted hatred of the dog tax, and to be

, Bunmionsed for. non-payment is .apparently -./ a cross he Avill not bear ip silence: It will be remembered, perhaps, that these same RaAve'ne Maoris made a " demonstration " a'couple of years ago/marclung.-thrbugh the settlement with loaded firearms. 0" that occasion the martial outburst was allowed to fisizle out, and it is not expected that the present little "complication" " tvill lead to", any serious results. v\;//,' 1 ', A n'nmber of the Maorisih the Hokianga ,: flistiict"and betAA-een thei-e and the Bay of ; : Islahds ha\"e always been bitterly opposed to the dog tax. The H'auhau fanaticism has ■ atA-arious times manifested itself.amongst the'h'atives there, though there lias been "no /, trouble except on one occasion, sime ■:':•■' tAVelve years ago, when an affray to6k place /between a force of police "-.and, the riotous Maoris at Waihou, . whena Considerable number of natives were arrested, and some of the police Avere hurt;'- These natives had been accused by the other Maoris of burning the body of a ■ child avho had died and of eating the heart or soiije other portion of it. This Avas the last'serious Maori row in the North, but the most friendly of the Maoris have ahvays protested against the dog tax., A couple of yftirS.ago about 13 Maoris at Hokianga we^e arrested for non-payment of fines in- ■:• iflicfced for failing to register their dogs, and .<■ served /terras of imprisonment in Mount •Eden gaol. -:.'■ It.is thought that unless the*native disturbance at, Hokianga soon passes over a

force of Permanent' Artillery and • police from Auckland will be sent up there to restore order. : ." -