FEUD BETWEEN MAORIS AND EUROPEANS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18310, 18 February 1925, Page 5

FEUD BETWEEN MAORIS AND EUROPEANS.

AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE.

o*lß6 ASSOCIATIOH TELIMUK.). HAWERA, Februaryl7,

The sounds of rending timbers as the wills of a dwelling were pulled down by a body of lusty Maoris to the accompanying shouts of the occupants and those engaged in the work of destruction, lent colour to an atmosphere of tense excitement which prevailed at Ohawe Beach yesterday afternoon. The extraordinary scene was the outcome of a lone-existing feud between a section of the natives and some Pakehas over the rights of the occupancy of certain native land where <i> white man built a home. Some tithe ago the natives gave the occupants notice to quit, but this was disregarded. The natives then gave notice of more forcible methods, carrying this into effect by removing the corrugated' iron from the roof. The occupants then given further notice to quit, failing which the Maoris would pull tbe house down. Yesterday afternoon the natives gathered to carry their plans into effect. The police lutd been sent for; the natives providing a thsi for this purpose, and their arrival was the signal for the commencement of operations, the police sergeant making it clear that they were to see that' there was no breach of the pe«ce and hto to go into the merits of the dispute. Armed with crowbars, at out fifteen Maoris approached the building in an orderly coltihin, but were halted -by a solid array of the Pakeha's friends; who advanced with hay forks perilously close to the middle regions of the dusky attackers. The net result of this attack van that battens were wrenched off and the ardour of the natives appeared to cool off. There was a delay in tbe proceedings., a verbal battle taking place. A second attack led by a white-haired veteran Was then pushed home, the natives succeeding in pulling down one side of the building, the beards being carried off by wahines and stocked.The melee continued for .nbcut twenty minutes, and wrestling arid talk of fight. A few sly blows got home. The police frequently had to interfere. Apart from a split lip andi sundry bruised limbs, none of-the combatants were injured. When the interior of the house was laid bare, the natives quietly withdrew.