NATIVE AFFAIS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 November 1932, Page 8

NATIVE AFFAIS

DISCUSSION BY MR TE TO'MO-

FEUD- WITH MINISTER ENDS-:'

WELLINGTON, November 3.

Describing in picturesque language and eloquent .gejtqreh ho>v his heart rejoiced that he would take his... part in the work of Parliament,; and how at last he was beginning to see the snliling valleys through the mist and swamp, Mr- Taite .te-Tonio (C., Western Maori) held the attention Q f the Ho’’se foi over an hour this afternoon, ‘whije he discoursed on such varied subjects as' his relations with the Native Minmember for 'Southern Maori (Mr> E. -T.; Tmkatene), the Ratana Party,, and flic . charges ill extravagance mjide against tlie Native Department. * '‘To-day we are - unable to see the clouds of heaven,” >;aid Mr Te Tomo. “Whyp. Because Europeans, arc one and a half .millions and we are just a Ismail 60,000. I wish to. state somethingi from the Scriptures, Mr 'Speaker, but if I iam wrong, to do so, plea"e let; me know-. T wish to quote from the cnistle -of St. Paul to. the Romans, ‘We lived before-the Lord came. When Lord-came we died.’”. Mr Te Tomo then proceeded to explain his antagonism towards the. 'Native Minister, the Hon. Sir Apirana and their subsequent .reconciliation/Freni'• 1908. until 1930 he had befn. under. the impression that his hos-' tilfty, w;as . just, andi h© ' bad even gone to ■ the extent of. wdrkmg Ogafpst the Mims,ter in his.,.own electorate. .-“But .whim i the people of his electorate Mh't that - I was wrong they re-e'ected, him.,; admitted 'Mr To Tomo. ‘‘l did rot persist, In 1911 my attitude towards him jvas the, same, -bpon»y.e he. did, not, reply fo ;myli,representations, ' a, id made me inare: angry., I: made up,, my mind to fight him, but the people would, not foljow me..They will still, very pleased with him/’ - ■

“BARKING AT THE MOON.”

Re werit on to tell the story of •«*»» which, ,& f,t,er ei aht years •, in; a go] d mine came info the.'.open i air. The

: itifc) .barked-1 furiously at • the.moop,. but the moon,went,.mernlv juf T’hei isecondi night e.the same thing, happened, and om:the third night the dog gave np \ barking. ‘‘‘The ■•Minister. said; to .me, dYou'.are ji’et like that dog. barking at 'the'Native "Minister,’ ’’- said. Mn Te Tomo. i He described-hie other. efßprts to defeat the Native Minister. I‘When. Mr i, -Coates. N became!.; . Prime Minifeteii, I • thpughti -my vgreat; ohancei. hati arrived, and: all powers' in Parliament would, bee. handled <by me,’! 1 he continued,-,' * “but (Mr-, Coates jr#'’ragged ,top in tori meet'-the Native Minister.! Idid not want: to-.gri, hut hedragged me. The day :before yesterday, I was considering alp these things .and I likened,-my'.own efforts,.to thenCffarta, of a chess player, I: saw ,that, everywhere I moved I was . eyen ins at the, present, .day.” . Towards the end of his speech, cMr 'Te.Totuu, said he had come .to ; -realise what : the •Native, Minister.-!,!had done 'L>V hi>-‘ people; and had- at last made his-peace ivit-h diim-’A.'- . •

'(“It is my hope and wish that hon, members o'f . the''Opposition- may fight; all they.'wish,” he said. “I know, however much they fight, I will ,be on the IT inning side, and I know that when they are the- Government of ’the country, they will 'treat I 'mo'the' same .as the 'Gever: meat is treating me'to-day. I !wili leave the* discussion of finances to: abler men, but I hope they wilt be. able to find ways and means of getting more money. Some young-• women among my people- are- complaining, that they have no money t 0 buy tennis, halls oil shoes.-The only reply- I made wa?, ‘Bo patient.’' '-An"- for t’rio House, there irsi only one thing t! it prevents us from- carrying on our work successfully. We should have one master and con- ■ ' , iWov,'" ; fts> in. war, a:i esprit. de- corps feeling to .enable us to work hand in hand and shoulder to. shoulder.”

RATANA PARTY

Mr To Tomo made'tn amusing reference' to Mr Tirikatene’'s independent position in’the l House-.- . “He "told me t-hat'to enter politics-one shoto’d he independent,” he said ; “but I notice that lie >was sworn in by Mr/ Howard and Mr Sull’-an, and I took from .that that he was a member cl the Opposi- I tipn. My friend stated that sitting on the rail was a good thing. Trob.abiy the Opposition would come along and offer him a bribe to vote with them; .and then probably the Hume duster would come along and offer him .- a bribe to vote in his direction, tout I , know thi B , that he will get nothing. ;My frifend chides me with inability to obtain assistance for my people, but if I want something from the Marine Department I go to the Minister r ’ fox Marine, and if I want Crown grants, ■I, go to the Native Minister. I know that if I waved nfiy hands about and ehouted and slammed- the desk I would, do nothing except hurt my; hands from shamming the. desk. What Is required is! not so much show as tact. NATIVE EXPENDITURE.

'Discussing, the ehargethai, the Native Minister had been' spending extravagniitiy, Mr Te Tomo. <said that he had gone, to Ratafia to ascertain the truth. r jhe. supervisor, of the. Ratana scheme had made a- public i statement to the peop’o 'and the Maoris had stated that they .were quite satisfied with what had been done. V“I■ advise my people- not t 0 follow Ratana but to follow me.” Mr Xe Tomo concluded,' “and by, :working Uartl to regain their prosperity I advise my, .people .not to .fake. relief, wprk, for they are giy.en two shovels, *O% and short, .and all they do is td „put the long -one in the ground and rest on it. X am sorry, that I cannot go on ispeakfi