WESTERN MAORI SEAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1043, 6 August 1930, Page 1

WESTERN MAORI SEAT

WORD OF WAIKATO KING WILL INFLUENCE VOTE RATANA CHOICE AWAITED The triangular contest for the vacant seat in Parliament caused by the death of Sir Maui Pomare is generally expected to become one of the moat strenuously-fought •lections irt the history of Maori politics. At the moment, three candidates nave been announced—the Rev. Robert Tahu P. Haddon, of New Plymouth, Mr. Taite Tomo, the Taupo leader and a representative of the Ratana* movement who has yet to be chosen by his Sect. There has been much talk of conferences in the Waikato concerning the candidate to receive the support of the Waikato King, Te Rata Mahuta. According to authoritative sources in Auckland, no conference has been held m the Waikato expressly for the purpose of discussing the election in the .Western Maori seat. All the tribes allied to the Waikato jung division—those in Hauraki, Wai*ato and on the coast as far south as Jtokau—are simply waiting for an indication of the preference of Rata Rata Mahuta exerts an immense influence among his people, Though he rarely seeks public prominJ* ? e * Had he chosen to be a candidate in the election, it is certain that tn ould have had a wonderful opporinr» of succeeding to Sir Maui’s seat h Parliament. As it is, the present k, S biy Maoris at Waahi Pa, near WT • whore Rata Mahuta has his T \t* is Purely for the purposes of f le ® °n the anniversary of the death v Mahuta’s mother. Queen Te hav ae * discussions on the election "•merely been a side issue, brpf en data Mahuta indicates his hn? ence ’ prominent Maoris in AuckP re dict, 90 per cent, of the voters (I|J , Hauraki, Waikato and coastal fa c * s support • the candidate °Ured by tire Waikato leader. RELATED to titokowaru vJU Taranaki, it is regretted that di/ ra domarc, the son of Sir Maui, D!u r not election in his father’s fc-Bf However, at ,the important tarn rence at Manukdrihi Pa. WaiSir w n , tll€ disposal of the ashes of v , Maui, Naera indicated that he o'nlv • cor, t e st the Western Maori seat ' in the event of the unanimous of the Taranaki tribes, the ana Ngati-Ruanui, Nga-Rauru lh " Mr. Haddon is jr. superintendent of the Methodist j s : rl Mission at New Plymouth, and u-fl Za & r and nephew of the famous warrier, Titokowaru. Tomo is an influential leader Z 1 a 8 played a prominent part in sunn affairs « and he will receive the a Co , ns * deral3^e b art ot the RATANA representative ha«jr»^ tana Pa - near Wanganui, the oriirii?. S i, ln thc r eligious movement were Tabi. anxi °us to have their leader, imifcn lrem u Ratana, enter the camto t)ut da tan a apparently preferred It »* b ° ne °f bis sons as a candidate C ° n^^ently expected that the. s i<lepMK! who represent a conin nao e movement in Wanganui and a remL° f Kln S Country, will have ent rup^f er l tative - One of the prominAli V? of , the movement is Pita Mok ). the \nri a i Ct ons generally concede that latest k° f data Mahuta will have the ikshuta , - earin ß on the election. Rata Se rved known as an extremely rec°nsider^lan’ vvho gives the deepest tha lon to any question affecting clfare of his people.