THE MAORI DISPLAY ABANDONED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11685, 21 June 1901, Page 5

THE MAORI DISPLAY ABANDONED.

NATIVES RETURNING TO TIT KIR j HOMES. | The proposal to give a repetition of the ! Rotorua Maori carnival in Auckland has now been definitely abandoned, and the i natives will return to their own districts I as goon as possible. A large number of j the natives were [.icpared to remain in Auric- , land over Saturday, and repeat their war i (lances on the understanding that they i should get haif the proceeds, the other half ! going to the funds of the Queen Victoria I {School for Maori Girls. 'the Royal Re- ! ception Commissioners, who were acting j for" the Government in the matter, favoured { this arrangement, hut difficulties arose in connection with the detention of the slea- | mers which had been secure-".! to carry the | Maoris to th?ir various districts, and on j this account the Commissioners resolved to j let (lie matter drop. This decision was j come to yesterday foicnoon, and later in \ the day Mr. Ranson, of the Northern Steam- j ship Company, suggested to the Commis- j sioners that the difficulty might be got. over | by one of the steamers which had been secured for the next few days to convey the | Maoris to their homes being utilised mean- i time to carry volunteers to Christchurch, j the Maoris remaining in Auckland till the steamers were available for them. The display, however, had by this time been declared oil', and the Commissioners refused to go back on their decision. The na | tives, to the number of over 700, who arrived on Wednesday night were del lined in town yesterday pending lit; final decision i.a the i matter of the proposed display. They were accommodated in Messrs. Brown, bar- [ rett, and Co.'s vvaiehouse, in Custom-street, j Many of them were suffering from colds, j the result of the long exposure at Rotorua, j and, though they were comfortably housed, i the arrangements to secure their cleanliness were not of the best, each having to take his or her turn at the tap in the railway station for the morning wash. Naturally the natives, having had a pretty rough ex- j perience at Rotorua, weie, anxious to get j home, and they were by no menus disap- j pointed when the proposed Auckland demon- I stration was declared oil". Heller provision j was made for the meals of the visitors yes- j terday than when they lodged in the same j building on their way to Rotorua. In the | course of the day the Royal Reception Com- I missioners received a telegram from the Pre- | mier, requesting them to attend to the wants' of the natives, and to get them homo as j soon as possible. Arrangements were at once made with the restaurants in the vi- | einity of the wharf to provide the natives j with* meals, and this will be continued till J the whole of them have Keen shipped to : their homes. The first detachment of the j Nga.puhis leave, for home this morning. ' Among the 700 who found accommodation in j Messrs. Blown, Barrett, and Co.'s ware- i house yesterday were the Northern Nga- j pubis. Wairarapa natives, and liawke's Bay I and Gisborne tribes. i East night the Premier telegraphed to the Royal Reception Commissioners as follows: j —"I am sorry that the shipping companies \ have acted as they have in respect to the j Maoris. 1 think they might have met the \ Commissioners afnl the Government, and i shall think so. lam wiring to the Union j Steamship Company and the Northern ! Steamship Company respecting the matter." i A special train arrived from li-otorna j shortly before twelve o'clock last night, I bringing down about 00',) natives belonging! lo the East Coast and olhei places. A mini- j ber of natives who had been aUemiing lite i celebrations at Botorua. who came down yes- j terday morning, left for Commanded by (lie i Waitangi last night, lie majority of the j East Coast natives will leave by the Moura j and Ouiipete to-incrrow, and a number wni '. also go to New Plymouth by the sgapuin oil Sunday. Toe natives who arrived last night were put up in Messrs. Brown, liarvet and Co.'s warehouse, Custom-street. and at the various bourdinyhcuses in the city. I