Whisperings From Waitangi

Northern Advocate, 10 February 1940, Page 9

Whisperings From Waitangi

YITAITANGI has come and gone in a weird mixture of high patriotism, blisters, craned necks and sunburn. Except for those who were periscopeminded or were official guests, the functions of the day were heard rather than seen. One lady, who had piloted her small car through traffic mazes and dust-clouds, expressed a certain amount of chagrin at having travelled so far and seen but an admiral’s hat, half a haka, and a bald patch on the head of a dignitary. ** , * r rO paraphrase the song which helpOd to make Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire famous, thousands joined the crowd to see history unfolded, but what did they see? They saw the crowd. That, in itself, was an inspiring enough sight, and those who complained should have remembered that if it had not been for the Treaty which they had gathered to commemorate, they would not have been in the 1940 crush at all. They would have no social security tax to pay. In fact, there would be no security of any kind. it :> A CHARGE by Ngapuhi warriors. untrammelled by any compact with the Queen, would have cleared a space effectively, and given those spectators who remained plenty of room for an undressed circle view. * « * TT'NOWN to his more intimate critics as the hui historian, the Private D, from the wealth of his previous experience of such occasions, advises would-be frequenters of future occasions to come early. Do not bring your lunch if you have an opportunity of dining with the Ngapuhis on viands cooked hangi fashion and from oysters in and out of season. Many of the rarest spectacles at Waitangi occurred long before the thundering herd of pakehas arrived in their split eights.

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instance there was the altoA gether dramatic spectacle of a Maori warrior, clad in piu piu skirt, acting as a non-reception committee of one as the canoe from the other lcianga approached. He ran gesticulating down the beach, and seizing a handful of pebbles, threw them one by one into the water over which the offending craft was being propelled. Perhaps there was something traditional about it. but the barrage was anything but a successful one. Then, when he saw his efforts were futile, he turned his back majestically on the waka, and cocked a hoop, or rather raised the rear of his piu piu skirt in a motion which symbolised a Maori raspberry. v * * * fT'HE police are stated to be still hot on the scent of the outbuilding which disappeared mysteriously from the departmental encampment. In the adjoining temporary post office, although all facilities for banking were available, few deposits were made. * * * * SUBTLE as ever, Sir Apirana Ngata was responsible for the best joke of the day during the otherwise rather sombre speechmaking on February Announcing arrangements for luncheon, Sir Apirana said that holders of blue tickets would dine in the whare runanga, “while the reds would follow Paddy Webb into the marquee.” When the laughter had subsided, Sir Apirana made it clear that this matter of colouring had no particular significance but was purely coincidental. * * * INCIDENTALLY the question of luncheon tickets caused some heartburning, and that not from overindulgence from the good things. In fact, several who considered that they should have been among the chosen diners in the carved meeting house, went without the midday meal rather than stoop to enter the lower portals of the marquee.