RATANA AT MATAMATA

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12295, 8 April 1937, Page 3

RATANA AT MATAMATA

TE POI MODEL PA

BETTERMENT OF RACE

SECRETARY ’8 STATEMENT

That within a low weeks a commencement would be inuue with the Koiubiisuiiieui o£ a model pa at 'i e cot, ivas me kernel ot a lengthy message aiillionseu by air i. \».

itatuuit, 01 Vvungaaui, ut me request oj. the Matamaia itecoru.

hue kiea actuating Mr Katana is to provide an object mssou to his -uaori people by loateruig a close cooperation and unity ot purpooe wnicti

a.ms at tile betterunui ui tile race as

a wnuie, m an endeavour to attain a sianaai.i wncreny me iuaon may ne piateu on a sound economic anti cultural looting sine uy side \>xtd ms panfiia nromer.

in conveying this written message Mr K. haieu, secretary to Air ivaiiiim, explained mat Mr Katana was a divine ueaier to whom it haa been revealed mat he was to complete a monel pa early tins moiiui. ror tne opening of tins pa a very large gatnernig of' Maoris is expected. me pa would tie named after a deceased sou, Te units it a (umegaj.

ine undertaking was an extensive vetuure, but Mr Katana, by Ins uw., meiliou ot teaching, nau icq his people successtiuly m me past, ana in me Katana seiuemeiu, near \Vaugaiuii, nau erecieu i lie largest native pa m New Zealand, whicn now nau a population OI 6UU.

in me present venture at Te Poi he nau again come to me tore ana was paving the way lor nls suilled tradesmen to Ouilu a new inouel pa near matamaia.

the sue ut the .proposed new pa faced me Taurauga.-lViaiama.ta lilguivay, aim the lony Kaimai range in me uacngTounU made it a picturesque setting. ,

'tiie chief building of the pa measured ruU feet oy itu feet and was saDUtviuud. Hi the centre were two gaoled root partitions, each measuring uo teet uy feet, one oi which was Co be the meeting' House, or Whiire \vauuiiga, aim urn otner was to ue .. Han or dLuiigroom with accommodation for OuO at one sitting. 'tins Hall was so designed as to permit its. use as a picture theatre, and an operating box was being fitted for this purpose. Attached to the western wing of the mam maiding at the front was a post otnee, while directly behind was a billiards saloon containing four tables. Opposite, on the eastern side ot me building, was u shop, behind which were tiic cooking' galley and storeroom. At the rear of the building were rooms for washing up, cleaning and storing crockery. Adjoining at the rear were a butcher’s shop and a bakehouse.

AH cooking would be done by steam supplied by pipes fed by a 10ton traction engine. This engine arrived at the pa before Easter, having been railed trom Wanganui. It was this engine which was used for cropping work at the Rataua pa for many years in working down 1500 acres initially, and which also supplied the cooking facilities for all huis.

The water supply at Te Poi has bean solved through the divination by Mr Ratana of an ample supply of water underground at a spot which will be covered by a verandah of the big new meetinghouse. Br virtue of his natural leadership and his great ambition for the Maori race, continued the statement, Mr Ratana had succeeded in training a large body of skilled workers, including well-diggers, . carpenters, plumbing, bricklayers, blacksmiths, engineers and mechanics, and to assist m carrying out his life work he employed four secretaries. By his taste m architecture, by speech and by direction, he had impressed upon his skilled workers what had to be done and the need for promptitude in doing all work. All the skilled workers were Maoris, and they came from various tribes in all parts of New Zealand. They had learned their various trades at Ratana since the building of the settlement and the great temple, and they, now continued on with Mr Ratana in his great work. On the sporting side Mr Ratana did all he could to tester a love foi clean healthy games. In was his intention to nominate a senior team and a junior team in the Matamata Rugby Union’s competitions for this season, and if they were accepted the teams would try to set a standard ot sportsmanship and neatness on the field which would appeal to all. In Wanganui Mr Ratana had fielded teams for many years, and last year he had one team in each of- the senior, junior and third grade competitions. The third grade championship had been won, and the club had also won the trophy for the highest aggregate of points during the season. , , Ratana also fielded men s and women’s hockey teams, which had done well. During Mr Ratana’s tour ot England in 1924-1925 he had an orchestra of 24 (12 of each sex). In 1932 Mr Ratana formed'a brass band of 30 instruments, his son, the late Te Omeka, being the original leader. In 1934 a silver band was formed, comprising 28 instruments. The Ratana settlement thus has two bands (a senior silver band and a junior brass baud). Each band was under the tuition of Maori conductors, who learned their music at the Ra S-UV tour of New Zealand by the Grenadier Guards Baird the Ratana Silver Band was to lead the procession in Marion when the Guards Band visited t ( ha. town.