TE NGUTU O TE MANU.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 218, 8 September 1908, Page 3

TE NGUTU O TE MANU.

MEMORIAL SERVICE.

AN INTERESTING CEREMONY 7

SftSfcWSiW ; Li'«u, their gallant deed, atill live "over reen in the memories of the people o' aranak, (particularly the 'soiithen ml) and other portions of the Do ."mou This WM demonstrated ') he luge numbers of people who at U. • I ! le, i Uo - ,iui Serviec 0,1 Sl " ld «V oclock m tile moniinn- nartie«'gan to arrive at the Te ■lam. Domain, and by 2 o'clock it n, stmiated that there were between threi net lour thousand people present Tin lay was beautifully line, though rain hreateneel late in the afternoon. lUe Domain is a delightfully-situated pot for picnics and such functions, but lie open space wherein the monument tanels to the memory of the departed ohliers is hardly suitable for the ac ommodation of so large a number ol leople as was present. The clearins 8 too flat, there being no point ol antage from which the onlookers could 'btaili a view of the proceeding. The erviee was held around the monument >ut only those who were close up conk iear the remarks of the speakers. Tin iroinoters of the service did not antici late so large an attendance, consequent y little had been done in the way ol irganisation and appointment. Then: vas a good muster of troops, which in ludeel the Hawera .Mounted Rifle; under Lieut. Sutherland), Hawern dounted Cadets (Captain Mitchell) iawera Rifles {Captain AVilks), OpunaKe dounted Ritles (Sergt.-Major News lam), Eltham Rifles (Captain Clarke) Captain Mitchell took charge of tilt >arade. Of extreme interest was the larade of veteran soldiers, all of whom md fought in the Taranaki wars. Those rt'ho fought on tlie spot forty years igo yesterday (Monday), among the issembled veterans, were Messrs. J Livingstone (Hawera), J. Quigley (Ingle rood), James Griffiths (liiglewood), T ?. Lister (New Plymouth), J. H. Walkei Waitara), J. Flynn (Hawera), and A J. Hickman (Urenui). Several othei 'eterans who had fought in the different Caranaki fights were also present. A rather noticeable feature was thf ilmost entire absence of members ol he Maori race. In. conversation witl: i native of the Hastings Road, our re 'orter learned that the Maoris wen ipposed to being present. They fell hey had fought hard and gained victor) in the memorable battlefield, and tlicj onsidered it would be a breach of eti [uette to attend a memorial service t< he leader and comrades of those win lad fought on the other side. Some o he older natives were hostile to the oinmemoration of the day, one ok varrior who took part in the light pro laiming his willingness to again take '!> arms against the pakelia—who, hi aid, had come and taken from tin latives their splendid country. It is reported of another very ok lative that one day last week he heart >f the proposed memorial service. The )ld warrior took the news rather badly Ijeaping to his feet, he commenced te March up and down, carrying his three score years and ten as if he were agali a young brave heading a taua. As ii the old days, tiie light of battle was ii the old man's eyes and features, ane lie harangued the crowd in the old-tinr fashion. So excited did he become tha lie was seized with a fit, from the effect of which he succumbed, his remain •being laid to rest, after the customar •tangi, just lorty years after his figih' with the pakehas at Te Ngutu-o-ti •Manu.

A native of about 43 years of age bared his arm and displayed a small scar on the elbow, lie had been present on the memorable day. He was a wee tamaiti then and was being carried about in a shawl on his mother's, back, while his father took part in the ■fight. A bullet came whistling amongst the bush, struck a tree-trunk, and gianced oif, striking the youngster on the point of the elbow. The injured arm even now bears out the man's statement, it being only about half as robust as his other arm. i The memorial service was held in trout of the monument, the troops being massed in open square formation to keep back the crowd. On the top of the monument a beautiful wreath of white camellias and violets had been placed.

■ The Rev. Mr. Ivlingender, of Manaia, who was primarily responsible for the holding of the memorial, read the service. which was most impressive. The ■Manaia, Eltham, and Ivfyoiiga Rands were present and assisted in the hymns. The Rev. F. \Y. Boys read the lesson.

The Rev. ilr. Klingender road apot gies from His Excellency the (Joverno Colonel Bauchop, Hon. John Bryce. Caj tain Davies, Mrs. Kettle (Major vo 'i'empsky's sister), Lieut.-Col. Roberts Lieut.-Col. Newail, Colonel flortoi Lieut. Hertzcl (who., with Cattail Robertson, were the only officers o Von Tempsky'a force that escaped.) I'll rev. gentleman stated that when tin service was first suggested he had n< dea it-would extend to such a big alfair t was manifest that the settlers of tin iresent day were not unmindful of tin lallant deeds of the pioneers to whos< nernory they had gathered together ti lo honor. It was good to think thai leople of the present day recognise, hat they owed a great deal of theii leace and prosperity to the perils am ulferings cheerfully undertaken by the lien who had had the task of conquer ng the natives. The speaker referred o the defences of our own country, am aid the time might come when w< ihould have to take arms against a foe nuch more hard to beat than thi Maoris, warlike though this splendid ■aec had been. He hoped the service vould lie held annually. The Hon. R. McNab, addressing tin ;athering, said he did not require to tel hem that this opportunity of speakinf ,o them gave him very great pleasuri mleed. lie was there to represent tlu 'rime Minister and Minister for De ence, and his presence showed the vcrj ;reat importance the Government at ached to the occasion they were now ommemorating, which had an import ,nt bearing, indeed, upon the defence ol he country. Those who had lived hen vould notice the great change that hac icen made on the face of the district md this great demonstration and cer.v nony would bring before their mind; .nd the minds of the young cadets win cere now preparing themselves for fu ure defence the perilous work theii athcrs had to do liefore they were abU o settle this country. The earlj ettlers found here a brave and warlike ace. who did what any other race woitli lo when they found 'their country was lipping away from them: they fought or every inch of ground. Rules of war are were different, and they must no) lilame the natives if some of theii ules were very savage indeed. He be ieved if we had many more ceremonies ucli as this the problem of defence vonUl be greatly simplified. At present here was no doubt we were living in 8 Tool's Paradise. Because there were low no enemies within this country it nust. not lie thought thai the defence iroblem was solved, for with the ad •ance of civilisation Powers were alili n strike from great distances. What ie wanted to impress upon the oh settlers was that the work they did orty years ago was living after tliem itid would live after they had passe, (Way. And he also wanted to sho« lie volunteers of to-day that in aftei ,-ears there would be the same rccog litinn of their services. Tfe welcome he hundreds who had come to pay thci rilmte of respect lo the departed dead iVliile travelling abroad one of tin hings which struck him most was tin mtional recognition in _ the T'nilei states of those who fell in conneotioi vitli their civil war. One day a yea vas set apart for this purpose, and tin ntion's recognition of valor built up i entiinent around which a railing-pom vas formed. Tt was fitting to remem ,er that he whose death they were n|>y ■ommemorating was not born m tin ■nniitrv. He was trained in an anm l<r ,;,i,t which the British hail fought sut Von Tempskv travelled to America n Australia, and then came to Nev Ccaland. and was so ' lut cerviee under the British Hag am aild died for this country. Mi d-\ab. continuing, said In- was md hci „ .1,V to through the details of ha lav furl v" years ego-some of wh.ei vcr," mist lmt vju.-li tli . m<t export in that . ol AX<n j l . l * re would merelv H«e by repeat,,,; ii.ivii lino* from Hnu-kon i-Prave VOIII," land. 111 v roll of glor fine's will, many a gall.nl T l, nll hast many a thrilling stop dear lo honor. I rue to Thou canst beast ,i 1.an.1 ■ ,l < <•" wlid-c innlyiiiir >1m!1 When thv chronicles of_ valor slia I after davs. ■We are now." said Mr HrNa.. n. <"»- in ion "reading in aflei uai* t-i hronieies of those heroes whose lllldyill Iced- are *lill ablaze. Ti,. I'ev Mr liovs Ufawera) deal ,-nrk t.f those soldier niolieers who uei o rapidly passing <'xpro»se he belief tl.-.t it "vas a strenuous man mod (!,.,( was growing un to carry on he work of those who bad gone before.

One of the finest things in volunteering •was the leaching of discipline, and it 'Jiii'ii were to arrive at the highest point •they must learn self-discipline, to obey <Jod. Air. Major, M.l\, referred to the groaL results which had evolvvd from Mr. Kltiigender's suggestion. Jt was a long I time before we could subdue tliis land, ,r but the country was worth lightiii" for! > Coming out to-day with the Minister •they saw many evidences of prosperity, •* but in what they saw along the road. *md in the laces before them now they II found no traces of the child slavery about which they heard so mu:h in the city. \\ li-it they saw was robust health, intelligence, and contentment. (A;i- ---; -plause.) As Air. AlcXaU had said, we * 'innst not permit ourselves to live in a " I'oid's Paradise. We want to be pre--5 pared, dust as in Australia they wanted J a White Australia, so we want* a White ! New Zealand. The Maoris had been de--1 feat'ed, but he would say that no race of conquered people had been so well •treated as the natives of this country. He believed this commemoration day •should and would be an annual affair, ond that lint only from Taranaki but from all parts of the Island people would , oonie to visit the scene of one of the most stubborn lights in the history of •the Dominion. • Mr. Hnii't, chairman of the Manaia •Town Board, said an obelisk had been raised at Manaia to the memory of the fallen men, and by virtue of that recognition, and as representative of Manaia, he was present. He regretted that the opportunity for securing invaluable records was being lost through the death of old soldiers and old natives. He paid a tribute to the courage of Von Tempsky's men, and said the South African campaign showed that this generation •was willing to emulate their deeds. The troops, headed by the bands and led by the veterans, inarched past the •monument, and upon returning the bugle l>and attached to the Hiuvera School Cadets sounded the Last Post. The Hon. Mr. McXab then inspected the ! tanks and l was personally introduced to the veterans, with whom he cordially shook hands, and whose medals he examined with evident interest. The various companies were then dismissed •and a. most interesting ceremony was ended. [For the latter portion of our report •we are indebted to the Hawera Star.]