UNITED STATES FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 178, 23 April 1908, Page 4

UNITED STATES FLEET.

THE RECEPTION AT AUCKLAND. ' .' SOME SUGGESTIONS. ' (EY TELEOBArn. —SFECIAI. CORRESrONDENT.) Auckland, April 22. The "Herald" states that tlio intention of tho Government to mako tho visit of tho American (loot to Auckland a national event, for 'which Parliament will bo invited' to adjourn, and of which tho .Government will undertake tho general arrangements, is what was expcctod, and will .bp cordially approved by .our citizens. "It is not'to Auckland, as Auckland, that the visit is being made, but to.the port of Auckland in rtisponso to a cordial official invitation to-visit Now Zealand. Tho Americans will be tho nation's guests, not the. city's guests. The wclcomo to them will be a national welcome, not a civic wclcomo only. ' This is as it ought to bo. Auckland ciiirdo'very much towards making the national wclcomo a success, without-in any way detracting . from the general character of it. "If tho Mayors of'other New Zealand cities and other representative cjvio officials wero invited to Auckland to 'take an official part in tlio proceedings it would assist in-emphasising-.tho general character of tho reception, and we would suggest to Mr. Myers_ that this be "proposed" to the Primoi Minister, for, with the mombers of our Parliament and .tlio heads of . our local authorities officially present tho welcome would'bo of the broad and national character which the importance of the ovent deserves. Auckland itself lias novor boon backward in hospitality, and we may confidently anticipate that, .without any'attempt on its part to secure an unduly prominent place in the official proceedings, our visitors will carry away with, them a most cordial rocollcction of our port and .city." ~ \ . , Tho Mayor has; adopted the " Herald's " suggestion, and has written to Sir 'Joseph Ward, proposing that the Mayors of all the cities should bo invited to take part in the reception programme. Ho has also suggested that the Government should havo prepared for distribution to every man in tho American fleet a. card bearing a suitable inscription, and, containing selected views of Now Zealand scenery, , flora, etc., feeling assured that such a card would; be greatly prized by the officers and; men of the fleet, as a permanent /reminder of their visit to oui; shore find of'tho wirm and. cordial welcome extended to', thorn, and would doubtless find its way into many a "homo in the United States. ' -. '. ■■ .' •• FOOTBALL MATCH.* Another, suggestion, in .connection, with the coming of. the American .fleet..is .that, tho New Zealand Ruby Union be approached with a. view to having the Test match, Britain v. New Zealand, played at Auckland, providing suitablo dates could be arranged. This/ it, is argued, .would allow oiir Americanfriends an opportunity l of seeing a game' of Rugby '.;football as, played by -first-class players, and .on: the other hand would be a guarantee,of a.monstcr. gato. ~j ' . . A MAORI VIEW. . .. So many suggestions havo been made as. to how- best;the visitorsOmay be •ehtertaiiied that a represoiitativb;' of the "AucklandStar".• had - a. few words with a', loading Maori this morning,, to,tho possibility; of. there being-a continued demonstriatidh. Ho said:— .' . - ' . - V'' .';. "Tho. reason-why'.wo-do npt fall into lino with the, suggestion' that, thorp should be a combined Maori - demonstration when tho United States warships . arrive is not based upon the grounds taken by several pakehas, ivho i havo been .writing to,.tlio papers suggesting the possible outbreak of immorality if. silch a 'gathering took placbl neither is tho reference r seo mado as to tjio immorality at Rotofua-. worthy lof a moment's consideration. The real reason, is .that the Maori has something more, to think of- at tho present time, than lending himself to 3how purposes. iYou dpidwl that'jthg; Maori: 1 is '.pow,' .busily; ciig'agcd ■ tryingVjio .'solve v tho more ccriotis* probloins affecting .his own wolfaris'''ahd > :'%ljq' general" bet'tormeht "of.'.his people; Maori is constaniJy; told'that,.,hp is a useless member of. society, -that lio' f does nothing, with -his land, and. makes , no,.effort, towards his,' own-', bottermont; • and -yfit, pdbple' >want; him ; to. jgatlier. to; niako a -display ' just .'at the worst''time'';of tho .year 'Sot hiiri, to vbe' his land. If ho is to better his position ho wants to be at work on his land about August.Thero_ is - another,, tiling to -• w "should;. likp, tb''makd,'icfer6nc6 now. It is a great pity that 'Rotorua" should always be, mentioned 'in. support : of, thci view that any ; natural gathering together of tlio Maoris leads: to; tlio 'sapping -.offmoral fibre. Whatever'may bo said regarding'the poi and other daneos at Rotorua it is now recognised, so far as the Maori is concorned, to lie ; one' of the;, most morally clean centres in . tho; North 1 Island. Now, friend, I'claim" that oven if such wero not the caso tho blame ivould rest' more with 1 the pakcha than with tlio Maori. . You may. smile, but from what: I have seen in your, great. city of Auckland, on the occasion of tlio visit of several warships,-:.!, can assure, yon 'th'at. there,' justification;;there;;.for any-: remarks', on X the-' s'core,' of • ,virtiio : ; \tlian . at' Rotorua. Still, friend, I wish to" say that wo appreciate [ tho attention..that .is being devoted to us, iii tbat you' people are recognising thatit is right wo should be safeguarded siicli groat crisis. "Now, .'theroXis ■another- matter to, which I would like to refer before I stop_ talking to you. I see that some of the writers 'object to a big Maori gathering because of the doaths that took place when wo all assembled' at Rotorua - to see , Queen A r ictoria's grandson',-'Now;' :; ,'l - wish' •' 'to • -explain that -soino: of .'those-, deaths-;.wero.':old men wlio should hot ' ljave'gone to-the meeting at all. Wc' told ; them,: that they might dio if they went.' . They replied, 'It-i.vthe only chance wo I will over have of seeing: the grandsop of' our,v.White.;;Mother, and we'will go to seo him,-'and,-'having seen him, .will, die, if die we must for going there.' "Apart from those old men's deaths, that big meeting at Rotorua was one of tho best regulated tilings I havo over seen. Thoro were committees from.'.the different tribes to look after everything. ' ■- My people were proud to gather togothor in largo numbers to meet tho grandson of our White, Mother, but that is a very different thing to gathering for tho purpose of making a show for a fleot which does not belong to our own Empire."