THE MAORI DISPLAY AT AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11650, 11 May 1901, Page 4

THE MAORI DISPLAY AT AUCKLAND.

•if the trouble. Auckland is surely j rich enough to maintain its parks as other cities of the same size do, and to retain them wholly foi the public purposes for which they have been set aside. Councils, like men. often make mistakes through lack of due. confederation. Since this Domain resolution and all it entails is evidently a false step, we sincerely trust "that our Councillors will have no hesitancy in retracing it. Mahuta and the tribes of Waikato and the Thames declined to take part in the Maori reception to the Royal visitors at Rotorua, and in consequence the Government determined to give them no assistance in coming to Auckland and taking part in the reception here. From the first we have thought it a mistake that Mahuta and his people, representing the tribes who set up a King and resisted the British power, should be prevented from tendering their welcome to the Duke of Cornwall and displaying their loyalty to the Empire. We are quite sure that one of the most pleasing incidents in the Duke's visit to iNew Zealand, one of the most striking things he I will have to tell to the King and ; people of England, will be that at ; Auckland he met the grandson of j the Maori King Potatau. Mahuta, a 1 chief recognised as holding a posi- \ tion of great influence amongst the '■ Maoris, and that he made tender of I most, loyal devotion to the Throne. | That will certainly be better than if i he has to say that Mahuta and all I the natives of the Waikato and j Thames remained in a state of sulky ; isolation and never came near him. ' And yet for this the Government I would be entirely responsible. And | then, if the Maoris are all kept away j from Auckland our welcome will be ! deprived of the most characteristic j feature of the country. At every I place at which their Royal Hish- ! uesses have called, the endeavour t has been to give them something ! special and characteristic of the : locality. Here, the Government are j striving to eliminate anything of the j kind. We read of the Maoris who | have gone to Melbourne being assigned a prominent place at the .re- ■ ception, but when the Duke comes ! to Auckland he is not to see one. 1 However, the matter has been taken i up by the citizens of Auckland, and i we have no doubt it will be made a | success, unless the Government inj terfere by stopping the Royal train j on the return journey, which would | prevent the natives from bringing I their canoes to Auckland. If noi thing else were done, measures I should be taken to have Mahuta and j some of the principal chiefs of Waij kato and the Thames on the plat- ! form at Auckland when the address lis presented from the citizens. j There is no reason why they should not present an address on their own j account