LANGUAGE PROBLEM

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 9, 12 January 1938, Page 2

LANGUAGE PROBLEM

Native Witness Replies ; To English in Maori HASTINGS COURT INCIDENT From Our Own Correspondent. HASTINGS, Jan. 11. An elderly Maori woman, who was a vitness in a case, gave the prosecutingoolice officer and defending counsel s few embarrassing moments, and pro vided onlookers with some amusemen' it the sitting of the Hastings Polict Court this morning. While the witness stepped into th- * oox and faithfully carried out the usuc formality of taking the oath, withou any apparent difficulty in understanding or answering in English, the moment she was called upon to reply to questions relating to the evidence she ittered the Maori language. An attempt to secure a previous witness as an interpreter was unsuccessful, he merely declining with the terse comment “She talk English all right.” But neither the police officer or the counsel could persuade the witness to “talk English.” After several attempts it was mutually agreed upon that leading questions be put to the writness and a certain measure of success resulted, though in every instance tie reply was “Aye." Once tho police officer lapsed into the customary method of questioning and immediately repented, for tho witness quickly rapped out a long reply, all in Maori, only to relapse into the d ‘Aye" when the questions were made ■ strictly leading.