THE REAL PARIHAKA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 262, 5 November 1931, Page 23

THE REAL PARIHAKA.

The writer of the article in the "Star" of 13th inst., under the above heading, is apparently one of the band of perfervid admirers of the Maori, who, in their zealous efforts to convert people to their own indiscriminating and biased estimate of him, distort history and'misrepresent"~the work of men Who, in their day and generation, served their cou'ntrv honestly and well. As one of those on the scene, and conversant with the events. leading to the breaking up of that hotbed of lawlessness, I can estimate his garbled version and cheap sneers at their poor worth. But lest this later generation be misled by such perversions it is just to state the actual facts. The so-called "prophet" had long been causing apprehension and unrest among the settlers on the .west coast of Taranaki, and had he been the peaceful, patriotic martyr the writer pictures, he would have prevented his fanatical and bellicose followers from terrorising inoffensive settlers and their families, [destroying their fences, ploughing up their pastures, and allowing a very dangerous situation to develop unchecked. It is a pity "J.C." could not have met some of those who were ordered off their farms at the time, and voiced his pro-Te Whiti sentiments. Successive timid Governments, fearful of falling under the denunciation of pn>Maori sentimentalists, tolerated these | lawless activities so long that settlers lost patience and a climax was rapidly ! approaching. In a well-irleant attempt to conciliate the "prophet," the Government built him a substantial house. Surely this is not the "sacred" oue! Failure on the part of the authorities to deal with the situation had resulted in a very anomalous state of affairs when it was admitted that the Queen's writ did not run in Parihaka. Maori law-breakers made a bee line for sanctuary at Parihaka and defied arrest. Incl ided among them was Hiroki, the murderer, who was quickly arrest .1 when the Constabulary marched in. However, that was not just yet. The fear that bloodshed might follow any attempt to end this state of affairs was a risk the authorities shirked. TheHon. John Bryce wished to deal with the situation, but his colleagues would not agree. He resigned from the Cabiilet, and the Hon. W. Rolleston took his place. ' His journey from Opunake Pungarehu—cursed and howled at ly : these "peaceful" followers of the prophet, sticks and stones hurled at him, boasts of driving the pakehas into the sea—convinced him that only stern methods* would avail. His quick return to Wellington, and the recall of Bryce followed. John Bryce, to whom this country owes a debt of deepest gratitude, was the man for the hour. He knew the Maoris well, and he knew tl.j fanatic and heterogeneous assembly in Parihaka was in no sense representative of the Maori people, who, for the most part, held aloof. He also knew that fie- meaningless and oracular utterances of Te Whiti were the smoke screen under which he would retreat when his bluff was called. Therefore Bryce, in using the display of fore. 1 , was doing just -what convinced them of the uselessness of putting up a figh-, and so the victory was bloodless, much to the chagrin of some professing friends of the native race, who felt themselves deprived of ammunition to pass on to other Rusdens. The concluding paragraph of the article in questi n is a' illogical and absurd as the first is inaccurate. To mention "that splendid set of experienced frontier soldiers, the men who officered the Constabulary field force." And again, "Colonel Robe ts and his group of officers were the pick of the little New Zealand army of that day." And after thus eulogising them, say the forces under their command "could have been ambushed and shot down at a score of places" save for the grace of Te Whiti. In the ranks of the A.C. force were many young bushmen, good shots, and able to give the Maori points in forest ranging and guerilla fighting. In addition there were some of that great fighting tribe, the Arawi, loyal then as nt v. But I merely remark that the fearsome "ambuscade" was impossible, because the advance was well covered by skirmishers on front and flanks. T.S.