GREAT RECEPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 130, 4 June 1930, Page 3

GREAT RECEPTION.

MAORIS AND RAROTONGANS

MISSION OF GOODWILL.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

Commenting on the recent visit of a party of Maori chiefs to Rarotonga, Mr. H. R. H. Balneavis, private secretary to the Minister of Native Affairs, said the trip had been a one. On their arrival at Rarotonga, Makea-nui Tinerau, the paramount chief of Rarotonga, and four arikis came on board the°vessel by which they had travelled, and after the usual greetings paid a visit to Sir Maui Pomare, who was on his way to California, in a poor state of health. The Rarotongan chiefs were shocked to see Sir Maui so ill, and expressed the greatest sympathy and hopes for his recovery. When the party landed it was given a great reception and welcome by the Earotongan arikis and the people, who were present in considerable numbers. The reception took place at the residence of Makea-nui Tinerau, who spoke slowly but qutte understandably in Maori. There was a similarity between the Rarotongan and Maori languages which prevented much difficulty in mutual understanding.

Rarotonga depended to a large extent on New Zealand as a market for oranges and bananas, and it was very interesting, he said, to go round the island and inspect the fine native-built packing sheds, where the fruit was graded and packed in cases ready for shipment to Wellington or Auckland. Another event was a visit to the local- picture show (Billy Brown's) as the guests of the arikis.

Mr. Balneavis explained that one work that was to occupy the attention of Judge H. H. Carr aiid Mr. Tai Mitchell (who remained behind) was the consolidation of landed interests.. As with the Maoris, this one had been left a list of land here and there, and that one owned a quarter of an acre here and a third of an acre there—property which was awkward to handle economically. In the North Island the Native Land Court had sought to consolidate these scattered interests into a single block for the benefit of all qoncerned. The success of this work here, and the knowledge that a similar state of things existed in Rarotonga, had justified the Minister in sending Judge Carr to the island, where it was hoped he would be' able to straighten out matters in the same successful manner as in New Zealand.