BIG MAORI MEETING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10964, 6 May 1907, Page 4

BIG MAORI MEETING.

NATIVE HOME RULE MOVEMENT. [ THE PROCEEDINGS AT HUNTLY. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this 'day. ■ ' The large Maori meeting which has been assembling during the past week at Waahi, the Hun. Mahuta's kianga, near Huntly, made a 6tart with its order paper > ,on Friday. The proceedings were com- * menced by the Natives assembling m froift of the rununga (meeting house). Mahuta and his suite, otherwise* the koniiti (committee) occupied mats on one side, whilst .on the otlier were si* surpliced clergymen^ 'who held- 'a ,_hort : preliminary ser■.vice. Mahuta thenrMide^asgeecli*, and- . Tupn TaingakaSvaTe. Wliararoa, convener birthe meeting, also delivered- r ari address, after : Whid. Heriare Kail.iau. M.H.R.,- -'read correspondence .-between the' v Maoris'' and the Parliaments of Greutßritain*rand; New Zealand; concerning the -Treaty of , Wai* 1 t:uigi, but-* the' day ended with very little actual business^ feng Mone. When, the proae'edings*' were resumed on Saturday "morning Heriare Kaihau, M.H.R., made a long speech, m wltich-he traced the gene— "ii.pgy v pf the Maori race, genealogical trfie>:wns % illustrated by lar^e ( and/srr)all^ '■sticks, ramifying its varipus-directibiW from' tliia founder of ¥ the -race tb Potatati, the . first Maori • King. The sticks^and other • pai-apliefrialta. were ; so. numerous that-.two .liou-s were* -employed^in ihe consul 1 uetion.. of the diagram. , Tnis ■'■causedVimpatjeiice" ampngst a large nuhiber of- those : ;pre_.nt, who left, : statinß they' hadlcc~e' to. listen to. facets, not a^repitalof pedigi*e-s**i»-f-*com-■Jthbri 'knowledge, /the dinner bell ranpf-'tlie -jriustratidn wasjt'&mplete, but' on ' resuming Mr Kaihau continued --hie discburse on the ;histbry,o*f the Maoris, PottitaU, ' the : firis "King, , .was represented m tlie^diagramby.a large-post m. the centre of' an* ellipse representing New Zealand-. On - the ' rigiit "of the- ellipse was- a\ white flag, symbolical of EnglatidJ , ,while* between, was -a; box illustrating tile "5 treaty of "vVai■tangi. • He urged tliat the Jlaoris should: aitri at unity m redressing their grievances. At this" stage heavy* rain* caused the ' busi- - ness to be suspended for the day. \.-- -vlßawhiti.-clue'f*secretaryto the meeting*, on.beirie' mter-^iewed ,, by 5. Herald reporteß, stated tiiat'tfiel'objetft of the gathering was .the, ftfrmation of a union .to. enable. a. united, front ; to be secured m- placing ■matters affecting the race ibefore the Go--* yernment 01' Parliament. # He asserted that the treattripf Waitangi had beenrepeatedly broken, ;in*_*pirit/ ,-i'f not m" letter; -as „ also had the Ne"w Zealand- Constitution " Act'df 1852, especially jsection* 71 tlierepf; which provided for tlte niaintenance of Maori laws and usages solfar as they were not repugnant 'to "the general principles oft . hurriamty; ; 4.Wliat; : wa's required by"-the' 1 'Nataves'^said Rawhiti^, was power to niaiv <ige their .own affairs; or, m other '^ords.v Home Rule. .Some oi- th^ Natives, m;, re- . ferringto land' and bther grievances, _ay that the. intereviijtion -bf "King-'Edwar^ hould "be' solicited. iOtlief^tliinkHhat the jj']?e_eiit.'-oieeting is;:c_mp>*etent to .re-intro- ■ diice .the;. King mc^m eujrrendei)ed when M_liuta became^a member of the Qibinet. Asked if thai wouldsuit,, they sl-ake their heads, and reply that they have only one' King, and that is Edward VII. * v> * The pa presents a very -animated scene. During the progress of business, whilst the elders are engaged m their sirious concerns, the younger element' pursued sports and games. Cooking operations proceed all day long, the feeding of. such ' a large, assemblage - necessitating a tre-; mendous amount of "hard graft. Tliree constables are c-Mwtantly m attendance, their services being called into requisition on Friday night m suppressing the; efforts of a party of Europeans to introduce dice and. otlier forms of gambling. The general benavioOT of the gathering is. reported to be excellent. A popular forni of amused ment with, the youngsters is to. blacken their faces, and march round the pa to the music of tin cans, dance hakas, and accord a welcome to imaginary parties of visitors^ Pedlars and hucksters are nume. Rons, whilst two improvised stores do a "roaring trade. Two -billiard tables are m evidence, and play proceeds from early morn till bedtime. Ten Native clergymen look after the moral wSlfare of the crowd. .While the ; meeting; was m progress on Saturday tlie deadbody 'q&a* chief who had died at Wharawhara was brought into the pa, and* this had* tlie effect of casting a temporary gloom over the ' proceedings. Tlie meeting is expected tcrlast till about *Vjfednesday.