THE MAORI ELECTION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8700, 20 December 1899, Page 2

THE MAORI ELECTION.

Tiie Maori elections were held yesterday, and attracted much interest amongst the Native population. The principal polling booth for the Eastern Maori electorate was at Gisborne, where Mr Jnmcs ßooth, S.M., presided, assisted by Mr G. J. A. Johnstone. There are 85 polling places throughout the electorate, which is a very wide one, extending from Rotorna to Wairarapa. Up to 8 o'clock last evening 44 returns had come to hand, and this morning a number of others arrived, but there are still a good many yet to come. The election of Mr Wi Pere, the former member for the district, is assured. Throughoutthis district and at Mastenon, Woodville, and other places he received practically block votes, the only other candidate who approached him being Mohi te Atahikohia, a resident of Frasertowu, who was largely supported by Hawke's Bay Natives. Mohi is an opponpnt of Mr Wi Pare's propoaal to invest the Native- lands in a Board, and maintains that the Treaty of Waitangi gives the Natives the right to set up a Parliament of their own. Mr Wi Pere has occupied a seat in the House since August, 1884, having served in three Parliaments and eleven sessions. He is one of the few chiefs living who has a fair grasp of Maori history, and he is full of progressive ideas, Ilis notion being that the Government should borrow heavily and Rive several millions of money to develop this district. Following are the returns to hand :—

I Fourteen returns to come, which cannot affect result,

A '5 * at! b Polling Places. J2 <1 p * JJ '■§ i 3 " S s g Ihl W g E AJi_iii.i Gisborne 0 108 5 12 1 Whatatuiu ... 0 98 4 0 8 1 Hamua 0 37 0 0 0 0 Tokomaru ... 0 101 3 0 0 0 Tanuueharuru ... 0 0 1 13 0 0 Maslerton ... 0 116 0 0 0 0 TeHaupe ... 0 18 20 0 0 0 Petone 0 43 12 0 4 0 Grey town ... 0 62 10 0 0 Opoliki 36 35 39 G9 0 7 Murewai 0 62 17 0 6 1 Wlmkato ... 0 119 10 10 Ormond 0 111 12 0 0 Waipiro 1 55 24 2 26 2 Porangahau ... 0 16 9 0 0 0 Hastings 0 95 126 C 0 2 VVaiapu 0 46 10 0 0 Tuparoa 0 122 8 12 0 Omaha 0 24 43 0 0 6 Maraekakaho ... 0 3 19 0 4 0 Mahia 0 25 11 1 15 0 Awahou v 0 0 45 7 0 0 Mokoia. 0 0 .2 22 0 1 Tarukingo ... 0 0 610 0 8 Martinborough . . 0 14 0 0 0 0 Tikiliki 0 30 6 0 4 0 Takapau 0 18 11 0 2 0 Matata 24 2-29 40 10 0 Makelu 26 21 44 62 0 0 Horohoro ... 0 0 2 9 0 0 Tikokmo ... 0 4 15 0 0 161 Waiuawa ... 0 41 63 0 0 4| Rangitukia ... 0 44 2 0.43 0 Rotorua 1 7 74121 136 Mourea 0 4 12 35 0 0 TeNeae... 0 0 221 0 1 Nuhaka .. . O 16 27 236 0 Romoto 0 8 18 0 2 0 TeMatai 1 4 87 86 015 Wairoa 0 127 95 0 7 1 Mohaka 0 12 36 3 18 0 Pakowhai ... 0 9 25 1 1 0 Tahoraiti ... 0 30 39 0 3 1 Napier . 0 38 25 25 5 0 Whangara ... ° 55 9 0 0 0 Waipapa .. 0 4 9 4 0 1 Maroa 0 0 9 17 0 1 Opipe 0 0 11 0 0 0 Rnati .- ... 0 0 17 51 • 0 0 Kaihoota ... 0 35 10 10 Wuiotapu ... 0 02527 0 0 Omarnmutu ... 5 2 826 0 5 TurangaTaupc.^O 0 8 0 0 0 Ohaki ... ... 0 0 615 0 0 Whakaki ... 0 11 31 0 1 0 Kohonui 0 37 2.000 Matnikona ... 0 9 0 0 0 0 To/ago Bay ... 0 74 3 0 10 Ohiwa ... . 0 0 018 0 4 Hiruharamu ... 0 86 2 2 4 0 Teßeiuga ... 0 19 11 0 0 0 TeHarote ... 3 23 5 0 0 2 Annura 0 23 0 0 0 0 Whakatane ... 9 * ' 118 0 4 Ruatoki P 0 638 082 Waimana ... 7 0 056 028 TeToko 0 . 3 14 77 0 4 Totals" 1 112J2109 1188 983 197 243