ELECTIONEERING AMONG THE MAORIS.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13487, 5 June 1914, Page 8

ELECTIONEERING AMONG THE MAORIS.

One of the election stories published recently is reprinted thus by the "New Zealand Liberal," the monthly magazine of tho Liberal Party:—"A good deal of feeling has been aroused in Native circles by a statement mado by Hauraki Miming 'who is to contest tho Northern Maori scat), in an interview published in the 'Bay of Islands Luminary,' to the effect that the raana of the Ngapuhis had been lowered by the fact that they were represented in Parliament by a man of the Tarah-aki. tribes whose ancestors the ancestors of tho Ngapuhis had killed and eaten. This statement has been warmly resented in certain quarters, and has been viewed as a gross pieco of bad taste by many members of the four Northern tribes. The (statement was tho subject of discussion at' the To Rangi Point hui, and, on.the motion of Tamao Moiki, tho following motion was put and carried "unanimously:—'Lob the newspapers publish this: The words. | aimed at To "Rangihiroa and the Tara- ! naki tribes do not come from the Ngatiwhatua, Ngapuhi, Rarawa, and Aupouri, the lour tribes of the Northern Maori electorate. We would not insult our member, and any such attempt is opposed to our traditions as rangatiras. Te Rangihiroa has upheld the dignity of the position we conferred upon him, and when our tribes were afflicted with the epidemic he hastened back to assist his people. For his work wo are grateful, and we know that if similar trouble occurred amongst us he would do as much for us in the future as he has done in the past, without allowing his mind to bo influenced by an irresponsible statement condemned by a public meeting of the' people.' "