WESTERN MAORI SEAT

Hawera Star, Volume L, 11 September 1930, Page 6

WESTERN MAORI SEAT

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE

AIR P. T. HURINUI-JONES

Air Pei te Hurinui-Jones, the Independent candidate chosen by the Young Alaori Party for the forthcoming by-election in the Western Alaori electorate, is 32 years of age and is a descendant of the noted Alaniapoto chief Hauaum Poutama, He is a brother of Air M. R. Jones, of Hawera. He was educated first at the Ongarue Public School, proceeding from there to Wesley Training College, Three Kings, Auckland, and later received tuition from Rev. Alonfries, ALA., of Taumarunui.

In 1920, he was appointed to a position in the Native Department at Wanganui as associate to Judge Acheson and later to Judge Browne. He continued in this position until 1928, when he was transferred to Auckland to take up .special duties as Consolidation Officer in charge of the King Country consolidation of Native 'Lands, upon which work lie is at present engaged. In the course of his duties ho has come in contact with practically the whole of the natives within the Western Alaori electorate, and has, as a result of liis experience, become intimately conversant with their special problems and has been able, on a number of occasions, to give bis Maori people the full benefit of his knowledge and experience. He has during the whole of his career made a special study of the Alaori, specialising in the knowledge of the genealogies, history and mythology of his people. He is one of the few young men of the Maori race who can give .correctly the genalogies of several sections of the Alaoris of the North Island. This knowledge has been most invaluable to him in his work. Air Jones is also prominent in the field of -sport, taking the keenest interest in the organisation of Alaori football and tennis. He has played representative football for both King Country and Wanganui. In the Alaori tennis championships he represented Wanganui from 1921 to 1925, and held the men’s singles Alaori championship for four years. In 1926 and 1927 he held the New Zealand Alaori tennis singles and doubles championships. He was the first secretary and treasurer and is still a member of the executive of the Maori Lawn Tennis Association, an organisation affiliated with the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, and instituted mainlv by the Young Alaori Party, of which he is also a member, for the purpose of bringing together the leading young men and women of the Maori race, whereby an interchange of ideas is brought about.

The mention of Hauauru’s name revives a link with the past, as he was a noted leader in the Alaniapoto tribal councils and at the commencement of the Native Land Court investigations in the King Country he and Wahanui gave the evidence-in-chief for the princinal claimants—Ngati Alanianoto tribe. (Hauauru Poutama is identical with Hauauru—“West Wind” mentioned in Air James Cowan’s book “Alaoris of New Zealand”).

POLITICAL POLICY

AY hen ' interviewed Mr Jones stated that he was standing as an Independent. He feels that in Alaori politics the party system of the pake'ha does not enter into questions of the progress, development and ultimate settlement of the problems affecting the native race. It is his policy to uphold and perpetuate true Alaoridom and its traditions, held isacred bv the elders of the race. At the same time lie intends to co-operate with the younger Alaoris in their endeavours to assimilate progressive and economic ideas to meet present-day conditions! It is also his ambition to carry out to a. successful conclusion the findings of the Royal ’Commission with regard to compensation payable to the various tribes for lands wrongfully confiscated by the Government. By doing this lie feels he will be finalising one of the life works of that great leader, the late Sir Alaui Pomaro. With his knowledge of Alaori land problems Air Jones considers it imperative that the younger Maoris should, in every way possible, be assisted to follow agricultural pursuits and to develop their lands. As consolidation officer in the AYaikato-Alaiiiapoto district he has been personally supervising various ■settlement schemes for bringing into a productive condition lands that have been lying waste for many vears. This lias produced in these districts a means of combating Alaori unemployment, as the Maori owners of the land are employed in all the work connected with the schemes.

While he is definitely adopting an independent attitude towards politics, Mr Jones stated that should the Government he faced with a no-confidence motion ho would not he the means of putting the country to the expense of a general election.

“Mr Jones personifies the ideal of the present-day Maori in that he has assimilated the best of Maoridom with the best of the pn-keha,” -said a supporter when asked about Mr Jones’ candidature. “Tt should not be lost sight- of that the TWikeha is the predominant race in Antearoa, and it is only by working in harmonv with the onkeha. that the Maori can obtain .solutions to his many problems.” '