Maori Meeting and Dinner at Paeroa.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XII, Issue 1031, 14 November 1902, Page 2

Maori Meeting and Dinner at Paeroa.

As the Maori people of this loe iHty have lately been greatly exorcise! in their minds in respoct to laud and other questions, a/nd they invariably go to consult their old friend Mr James Mackay iv thoi'- troubles — that gentleman invitod sixteou of the chiefs of the Thauies and Ohineinuri districts to meet him at the Fire Brigade Eoom at Paoroa on tire lOtli instant, Messrs J. W. Thorp, W. GL Nicholls, and Mr W. D. Nicholas (Proprietor of the Obmernuri Gazette) also received similar invitations. All the chiefs but one (inavoidably absent) duly attended the meeting, and were joined by the above Europeans. Proceeding's commenced at 10 a.m. Mi- Mackay greqted " the Natives, and .addresser! ttie/n as iolM.ows»—Knowing thera were a number of things which are troubling you, and feeling old age coming on, I thougfitfit to call you. together on the ICing's Birthday. I desire to do some good, and see matters fairly a ad quietly settled, and when, finally leaving you, would like to do so with I the consciousness that everything was | going on well with you and likely to continue so. The first subject I shall speak of is the unsatisfactory

state of the land question in this

district. The members of the Council have been elected under the provisions of " The Maori Lands Administration Act," but the Government have not appointed, the President arid the other two members required to complete the Council. This delay is caused by difficulties caused by Mahuta,' and Henanv Kaihau. The ■latter has promised you frequently

that he would get Parliament to repeal the Act, and get a different measure passed. No/thing has'come of this, and.never will. I advice that the Council be constituted, and that we arrange to lease to some person through, the Council, one block of land, and sell another. This wil 1 enable us to see how the law deals with' there blocks. The law has been, passed and is in operation, and you cannot alter it ; my advice is to accept it, and give it a trial. A man can kick sand with hisfoot, and sustain no injury, but if be tries to kick a wall of rock he hurts his foot and^

makes no impression on the stone. Haora Tareranui replied—Greetings to you Mr Mackay,. the friend of the old chiefs who have departed life. It is right that you should call us together and instruct us. You are the remnant of the old chiefs. We are pleased to meet here to-day. You say that Henare Kaihau,®the Mombesi" has not done what be promised. Te Aho o te Rangi, of Waikato, mire Teimana of Ngatiraukawa, and Muro Teretiu of Marutuohu were elected as members of the Land Council. Mare Teretiu went to Waahi (near Huntly) the other two did not go there to see Mahuta. The difficulty with Mahuta is that the boundary of the district has not been properly h'xed. An arrangement was made with Mr Carroll about it, but he subsequently altered it. No one assents to the boundary being at "Waihi (on the coast) ; that is not the limit of Hauraki. it should be fixed at Wairakau so as to include Ngaiterangi (the Tauranga tribes, I therefore cannot see how we can work, the Land Administration Act. The Hauraki and Waikato are included in one district. We cannot act .in concert, and it is useless attempting to do anything unless ,we are united. Hone Ngatara—l • second Haora Tareranui's speech. Mr Cdrroll should not have arbitrarily fixed the boundary. Ido not see how,we can agree to the Council. I will take ■ time to consider. . v Meha Te Moananui—-Greetings to you Mr Mackay —I am- pleased with the first part of your speech. It is true that you have grown old among us. Mahuta's hand is not open, and we cannot arrange anything. This question is locked up in a box and Mahuta has the key. We cannot back you up at present. The boundary should be fixed at Wairakau. Haora Tareranui further explained matters, and asked Mr Mackay if he objected to Henare Kaihau as a member for the Maoris.

Mare Teretiu (one of the members elected to the Land Council) said I have accepted the invitation to come here, lam of the same opinion as the others who have spoken. I do not know whether this law will be good for the Maoris or not. I have been twice to Waahi, but things are not satisfactorily settled from our point of view, Ido not see how I can act for the others—can do it for myself. I ani not clear as to how it should be arranged ; we cannot finish it. We are troubled as the Council has not been finally fixed. lam like a horse —Mahuta holds the bridle and saddle.. lam not a free agent. Tuinatekitua Paaka : Kia Ora, Mr Mackay. Kia Oral We have heard your words to us they are good. We desire that you who have con^ vened the meeting should direct us. You say Kaihau has done nothing. Do you object to him as a member for, the Maoris ? '

Mr Mackay explained that he did not object to Henare Kaihau. He thought he had done hia best as a Maori member to carry out the wishes of the people.of this district. He had promised the Maoris he would get "The Maori Land Administration Act ' repealed or altered so as to suit their views, and wheu it was impossible to do so, still persisted in saying he could doit. ,

Te Keepa Eaharuhi: Greetings and health to you all. Mackay says he brought the European to Hauraki, and therefore the Maoris look to him to arrange troubles. Mackay advises us to build the house before the rain comes. Mare Teretiu hasMahuta's bridle and saddle on him -^tfyose articles have, not been seat back to the committee. Paraku Eapana ; . I wish to gee peace and prosperity among- us. I want the Government to give the preponderance of voting in the Land Councils to the Maoris. Let us have the administration of the Ao.t; not the Government. I cannot see at present how matters can be arranged. Te Watene Taiwhakaea: I wish to consider what Mr Mackay has said. Mahuta has a Council of his own, and we have not heard that he has agreed to have tne Maori Land Councils. If

Mahuta had consented to it, we would assent to Mr Mackay's proposals.

Haora Tupaea : Greetings to jou Mr"Mackay; the person who .has convened this meeting. HoVeves7"t yiear your propositions cannot lie carried out just now, becauseJKfahuta does ;not consent.. It is mm fox us to consider and endeavour t^ find a way to ■■ ■■■".. ■■ j • '' ■ ■)■•• ■"■

settle affairs, but perhaps we shall not be able to do so. Mr Mackay : I admit it is difficult. I am spvi-y for the Waikato people; they have very little land, as nearly all of their county was confiscated. All they have is what I arranged for them when Grown Agent in the Compensation Court. The majority of the Waikato people did not wish to fight against the Europeans. It was Rewi Maniapoto who lighted the fire with his celebrated ngeri. Puhi kura! Puhi kaka! Te Aid kei Kawhia, etc. The result of, the war was the Waikato tribes lost : the bulk of their lands, aud but a very small piece of those of the Ngatunani-

apoto tribe were included iv the boundary of the country taken under "The New Zealand Settlement Act." By rights the Government should haye taken a large piece of the Ngatunaniapoto^ tribe and given it to the Waikato people. We however at that time looked on them as one people and were of opinion they would get a share of the Ngatuaaniapoto lands especially as all that part of the country had been handed over to Pofatau when he was elected King, and also because JNgatunaniapoto urged tha war against the Europeans. Mahuta like others must accept the inevitable, as I said you cannot kick a stone without hurting your foot. TamatiPaetai said greetings, health, and prosperity to you all. Mr. Mackay, you wish to give the new law a trial. I agree to that.. The Council has been appointed for the Waikato, which includes Hauraki. There are two tribes, but only one Council, who must consent to a common course of action before anything can be done. ■ One tribe is working, the other is sleeping. About the lauds we still own—each

"hapu" (subdivision, of a tribe) lias its own land, left to it by its own ancestors. The lands which remain to us are not of large area ; the title has in most instances been investigated, and the Native Land Court has; made its awards, which cannot be interfered with. In my opinion each person should deal with his own lands. I say let as wait until Waikato agree to- it. We are willing for our lands to be;dealt with. ' Mr W. Gh Nicholls explained the position. Something ought to bo done, as no'one could at the, present time lease or sell Native' land. This

district was locked-up in a box and Mahuta Had, the key. He would a«lyise the Natives of the Rauraki District to appoint a Committee oi all the.tribes to consider the question, and report to a future meeting. It was a very important question and i should not be further delayed. • ! Mr Macka.y asked if those present I agreed to Mr Nicholls suggestion. , Unanimous assent was given. j Mr- .Mackay said there was a ! question which in his opinion was j more important than that which they : had just discussed. It was this. He [was disgusted with some of the rising ' generation of Maoris. They 1 were idle, passing their time in cigarette smoking, billiard playing, football, drinking, etc. If any one died, and they wanted money to buy food for a cry over the deceased, they never thought of working for it, but immediately went to their various European tenants, and asked for six or at times two or throe years rent in advance, and some of them subsequently disputed these advances, and said they were contrary to the Native Land's 'Act. It was conduct of this kind that prevented them getting higher rents or prices for the land. The' relation of a European landlord and tenant was' quite different. No Pakeha would dream of asking*'his tenant to advance him two or three' years rent, urgently he might require money. Instead of these able bodied

young 'Maoris lolling about hi billiard rooms and public houses, it would be more to their advantage if they set to work and fenced in their lands now laying idle, and cleared them of sweet briar and laid them down in grass to keep sheep and cattle. Also when they dug a crop of potatoes why not lay the land down in; grass at once instead of leaving .it to be overrun with docks and noxious weeds There was great earth hunger among the Europeans in the colony now, and they wished to fettle

i on the land.' If the Maoris eon- ! tinued to allow large areas of their, i land }ay waste, unprofitable and uu-, ; occupied they must not be surprised ii: i the Government take possession of it,; i and paid them compensation, leaving. I. them just enough for. their actual' I wants, and cut up the remainder, for settlement by the • Pakeha. Before the war the Maoris were an industrous people arid cultivated large areas, ; supplying Auckland with, a great deal of wheat, Since the war, they had become apathetio and only I thought of selling land when they required cash or supplies. He urged the committee to carefully consider and act at once in tho matter. Haora Tareranui; I agree with all that Mr Maoka'y has said. I would like to see the Maori Land Council under Mahuta's control, and; we better appoint a committee to act here. I think the loaning young Maoiis should be sent to prison. It is useless talk -

; ing to them. - Pepene Aprahama approved of Mr Nioholls' sugestion to appoint a committee. There were not sufficient people present to definitely arrange the questions which had been put to them. . Paora Tinorga agreed to the committee. He thought ie probable if the committee made any good suggestions that Mahuta would act on

them. Mr J. W. Thorp supported the appointment of the committee. It was them unanimously agreed to leave the tAyo questions to be dealt with to the committee ; also baeaches of the GMd Mining Agreements with respect to rainers' rights; reserves within the goldfields, and several qther minor subjects. - ■ It was' agreed to appeal to the Supreme Oqurt against th.c dredging claims which had been granted on the Ohinemuri rivftr between the Junction and Maokaytown, as the land on both sides of the river was principally owned by the Maoris, and was outside any of the mining cessions made by them to the Grown. Haora Tereranui: All these things trouble us on our lands commencing at Oape , Colville and terminating at Te Aroha.

Mr W. G. Niuliolis explained the position about thn river. It was

right' to plect a committee. Let the Marutuahu (four tribes of Hauraki) see to it. Mr J. W. Thorp objected to the granting of the dvH'.>-ing claims. He was one of the laud owners affected by it. He considered, there should,

be two committees— one; for the small matters and one for the large ones. He wished the committee would pjit down the expensive and wasteful system of crying for the dead. Mare Teretiu : Yes; the reserves are not respected, and miners can work under your house, aud you cannot stop: thorn and have no redress. Haora Tarerauui said one committee is sufficient. Let us see what can. be accomplished by the one now suggested.-. ■.-■■■; . :•-.;.■ ■■ ",- T.- ■• ■:

It being one o'clock, Mr Mackay asked all present to dine with him at the vEoyal Mail Hotel, and said they would elect a committee when the meeting resumed its sitting. Those present—twenty all told—dined together. Mr Mackay occupied the chair, and Mr Nicholls officiated as Vice-Chairman.

The health of King Edward wa« proposed by the chairman, who said the King Was the head of law and order. Under him we were peaceably governed and protected in person and property. We could all feleep in safety. It was not as in days of old.l When the dogs barked at night everyone anticipated an attack by a " taua " (fighting party) aDd prepared to defend the pa. :, The toast was drank with enthusiasm, • : -.• '."■;>:: ■ ':-';' •'■ '..' ."'■■/'■'

The chairman next proposed the health of" His Excellency the Governor, and the Goyernment of New Zealand." He considered Lord Banfurley to be the best governor who had ever been in the colony, and he took great interest in all questions affecting the Maori race^ Though, hot agreeing with the policy of the Government in all respects he believed they wished to give the Maoris fair play, and had given them a measure of self govern ment under the receut land and other laws.

The toast was drunk amid applause. The next on the list was " Prosperity to the Native Race, coupled with the name Haora Tareranui."; This was duly drunk.

Haora Taveranui in replying thanked the Chairman and the Exiropeaii guests present for their good wishes, and suggested that the health of M :huta be drunk. This wa* agreed to, Mr Mackay saying he liked Mahuta, and saw no harm in the Maoris making him their leader and spokesman. Mahuta was well disposed to every one. Mr Nicholls then proposed the health of Chairman, saying he thought the meeting was called with a good object, and he believed good would eventuate from it. ■

Mr Maekay said he thanked them for" the manner in which they had responded to the toast. On the 16th of this month he would be 71 years of age. He was a boy at school when Sing Edward was born in 1841. There was just one week less than 10 years between them in age. He hoped next year to invite them again, andf it was his intention as lqng as he lived in the district to have an annual y gathering on ; the King's Birthday, the 9th November. Next year he hoped they■•; would be able to ! report satisfactory progress in the matters which had that day been submitted to them. ; ; >; /; ?• : ; ; The meeting resumed at 2.30 p tn; .' Mare Teretui said they had better v arrange about the members of the committee. \ .; ; Mr J. W. Thorp said the committee might take into consideration the neglected state of religious services among the Maoris, and the ■ people should be urged to act in the matter. There was some slight discussion to this question. ! The Chairman thought it was of sufficient importance to be dealt with by the Committee. Mr Mackay suggested that a com- , mittee be elected. "' :]..r: .^zh- ■■:'■..■,['■ ■'"■■': Haora Tareranui proposed that the Committee should consist of 14 persons. He suggested that himself, Meha Te Mananui, Te Keepa Kaha* ruhi, Paora Tuiunga, W. GK Nicholls, and one more to be nominated for the Ngatihako should be the representa- : tive of the tribes living at and neat to Ohiriemuri; three persons to be elected by the Thames natives,; three by the-: iNgatipasb tribe ofvMiranda and Piako, and two^ by the Ngati- i\ whanaunga tribe of vVharekawa and :- ; i Coromandel; Mr Nicholls to be the :; Chair nan; Mr Mackay to be the. GeneraL^^Keferee; eight to a quorura. ,Mare Teretui was to arrange : with .the tribes /nipt present at Paeroa, and.report as soon as'-the other memborswere appointed..; './ : : Our representatiye was present, but /: uufortunately he not being a Maori linqiiist he was unable to completely' follow the proceedings^ which: were cpnduqted throughout in'tne Maori. tongue; He, however, has much ;J plpasure in stating that everything>( was done decorously and in order, and the greatest good and cordiality was maintained throughout by aft taking part in the meeting. .. ; The Ohairman and guests thanked Mr Atktns for the ample provision he had made for their entertainment. • *