THE TUAHINI HUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 3698, 27 January 1925, Page 10

THE TUAHINI HUI.

THE NATIVE LA" PURCHASE CLAIM. By A. F. W, (See Illustrated Pages in This Issue.) The hui, which it is earnestly hoped may be the last ono needful to settle the Ngai-tahu-Ngatimamoo claim in respect of what is known as the “Kemp purchase,” began a fortnight ago. Many visitors and claimants had arrived from ail parts of the dominion, and many more were expected to be present by the time that Judge Jones opens the Land Court. The camp is fully equipped with tents and marquees, some of which are lighted by electricity. Better arrangements for camp sanitation than those at the last hui have been prepared. Separate washing facilities for men and women, with water laid on, and lavatories close at hand, will add greatly to the comfort ot the camp. ' Stalls in charge of private owners are doing a roaring trade in ice creams, fruit of all sorts, sweets, and tobacco. For this privilege a ground rent is charged, the proceeds being utilised as a contribution to the payment of the expenses of the hui. On the first day the cost of entertainment was homo by the member for the Southern Maori District, Mr 11. W. Uru, but all later provisioning is done bv caterers, who collect from each customer Is 9d for each meal, 3d of which is their payment for the catering rights and will be allocated to some funds of tho pah later on. A “victory” badge has Leon printed and is on sale at Is.. The badge is on black ribbon printed in gold, the words under the symbolic laurel leaves being “To commemorate claims of Ngaitahu 1348 to 1925—77 years.” These victory badge ore being bought freely not only by claimants, but also by those who are interested onlookers, and who will keep them as souvenirs of the conclusion of the long effort to obtain a final settlement of this famous claim, which has been brought before the Government of the dominion by the Native representatives in the House tot the past 77 years, Mr Harry Uru being the seventh member to urge the matter upon the attention of Parliament. The formal opening of the hui took place on Wednesday afternoon, January 14, and commenced with singing and prayers. After Mr Uni had addressed a few words of welcome to the visitors, the majority of whom were from the North Island, the meeting was called to order by Mr James Apes of Puketeraki, chairman of the claimants, the secretary and members of the executive committee being with him on the platform. After tho opening salutations the business was more or less formal, a proposal to adjourn tho whole meeting and hold it further south at a subsequent date being lost. There were many speakers who spoke with equal fluency in Maori or English. A number of the claimants are the youngei members of ancient families to whom Maori j a not the most familiar tongue, as they iiave received their education in Government schools where English is the language used, and ns, moreover, they have lived and worked among Europeans. I his is notably the cose with the southern delegates. Many of those who speak in Maori, even among the more elderly speakers, throw in a sentence or two of English (exceedingly colloquial English at times) when the right. Maori phrase temporarily escapes them, and a listener with no knowledge of the Maori language can get the gist of the speeches from these occasional words and the accompanying gestures, which always are a featuro of natural oratory. If one is still in doubt, later speakers who uso English refer to what “was said bv their friend Mv MacDonald,” or Mr Pitama, or Mr Uru, an the case may be. Naturally, when speaKen have assembled from all parts of tho

dominion, every variation of dialect is to be heard, and this adds to the interest from the point of view of the European visitors. The few days prior to the arrival of the judge were employed in sifting and arranging evidence of right to inclusion in the claim, and discussing what suggestions as to the method of division should be submitted to the judge when the final settle ment had been arrived at and the money was available for division among tho elect. For this purpose Mr Uru suggested that a committee should be set up to hasten matters ready for the court. He explained that the fact that the names of some individuals of whose right to claim the committee were in doubt might bo omitted from the list prepared, would not preclude these persons from making application when the court sat, as all claimants would have had to do if no committee were elected. This business was preceded by an adjourn ment of 30 minutes as a tribute of respect to the memory of those old people who began the long fight in its early stages and are now dead, the first two minutes of the adjournment being observed by a standing in silence. At this stage the chairman of tlie pah (Mr S. Koroko) spoke in a most appreciative way of the valuable services rendered to tho tribe by the chairman of the executive committee (Mr James Apes, of Puketeraki). and Mr Apes expressed pleasure at tho complimentary reference to his work. Similar courtesies passed between Mr Mihaka and the people. Mr Mihaka is a North Islander, and only very indirectly interested in the claim, but he was secretary for this business during all tho time of the late Mr J. S. W. Uru, and he says he has found the work, both wiPh his late chief and with the advisory board and executive committee, a labour of love. He is a speaker with a clear voice who manages to make himself heard despite the murmurs of talk which is almost continuous, and at times makes it very difficult to hear what is being said unless one is sitting very close to the speaker. Mr Peter M‘Don aid is another speaker who can always he heard, and so is Mr R. Tairoa The chairman of the pah, when presiding over the hui, uses as a gavel a large and valuable magnifying glass with which he seldom fails to secure order. The Hon. J. Topi, M.L.C., is a visitor to the hui, presumably on the serious business of the claim, but also, from the point of view of the onlooker, with a view to lightening the proceeding: with a timely jest. One of his first contributions to the debate was a statement that “committees were the downfall of the Liberal Government, and are seldom helpful.” “Let’s bury them ail,” added as he left the stage amid the laughter of tho people. Notwithstanding this view, he is a member of the committee which was set up by the vote of the hui on Thursday evening. This committee is composed of delegates from all parts of the country as far south as Bluff and from all parts of the North Island. Mr R. Taiaroa is its chairman, and other members are Messrs S. M'Donald, S. Koroko, and J. Wakefield (Canterbury), J. Erihana (T'uketeraki), J. H. Wixon and J. Te Puke (Southland), J. Beaton, 11. M. To Whaiti, and S. To Aiki (West Coast), the Hon. J. Topi (Putaki). A certain proportion of tho claimants, not wholly approving of this committee, whose views of tho rights of claimants aro too wide to suit such as desire to limit the claim to residents in the province of Canterbury, dissented somewhat heatedly, and refused to recognise the committee. A minority committee, sometimes referred to as “the secret society,” elected itself, and announced its decision to work apart from the committee of the hui, in the interests of those who si ill reside in Canterbury—some two hundred of :he thousand or more claimant under the guidance of Mr Pitama, with Mr Barrett and others. This party announced firmly that if was going on its own lines, and would not attend when tho committee declared the result of its cogitations. The members of it, however, were all present, we noticed, taking part quite happily in the discussion at subsequent sessions. Practically it appeared to be a house divided into the government and the opposition, each adding its quota of knowledge and wisdom, and the supporters of each party “lobbied” industriously between times.

Of the southern people who are the descendants of the signatories of the deed at tho time of the Kemp purchase, Mr J. Matthew, of Waikouaiti, is named as an authority on whakapapa (or family trees), and as one who has a clear head ana special knowledge of tho period immediately after the sale, before the ancestors of the southern claimants went south. He is a vigorous speaker, ajid is always listened to with respect, probably because he does not lapse into vituperation and useless recriminations. Several ladies on both sides of the “House” take an active part in the discussion, and on occasion address small meetings in the open air, during the intervals between sessions. Prayers are read each night, with several hymns and a brief address by various preachers, the Revs. C. A. Fraer, E. Wobb, and Haddon, and Messrs Wharehuria, Te Ari Pitama, and Mrs Monro having all taken part. Sunday services were held in St. Stephen’s Church, a special service for children being hold in the afternoon by Mrs Mo-nro and Mr Te Ari Pitama. The representatives of the Methodist Church also hold services in the hall at 11 and 7, the evening service being followed by a very earnest address on prohibition by Mr Haddon. who was listened to with very great attention. Several dances have been held curing the evenings, and the pah is not a dull place, as most of tho inhabitants of the camp are now meeting relatives and friends from whom they have booh absent for years, so that any available spnro time in the intervals, of compiling whakapapas may be very happily spent in the hearing of family news and cementing old friendships. The real business commenced with tho formal welcome of his Honour Judge Jones, chief judge of the Native land Court, and the opening of the court proceedings.