THE MAORIS IN LONDON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 8

THE MAORIS IN LONDON.

VISIT TO WEMBLSY. DISAPPOINTMENT WITH NATIVE EXHIBIT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 19. On the day after their arrival in London, the whole of Mir T. W. Ratana’s party of Maoris visited the British Empire Exhibition at Wambley. They were naturally impressed with the enormous extent of it. Alter spending acme time in the New Zealand Pavilion, the party went to the Maori House, As was only to bo expe&ted, the artificial expedients for the panel work were the first things to arrest their attention, and their horror of anything of this kind in what ebon Id bo a sacred house entirely obliterated any other impressions they might have bad with regard to the carvings The few trifles in the shape of mate that Now Zealand had sent to appear in an expensive cabinet, which occupies a central position in the house, could only be an. insult to them. As one of the party remarked; “The mate they are showing there ane merely what we use to wipe our feet on. It is the worst exhibit in the whole exhibition.” There was evidently no intention of making a special show of Maori work, but. it seems unfortunate that the rubbish that was sent over should have been displayed at all. It has evidently gone to the heart of the Maoris, who are now over here unofficially. During their visit to the ivcw Zealand Pavilion the party gave a small entertainment on the lawn, consisting of music, a poi dance, and a haka.