PRACTICE OF “UTU”

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1934, Page 7

PRACTICE OF “UTU”

URENUI MAORI’S ACTION ANOTHER MAN’S FENCE DESTROYED REVENGE FOR LOST EMPLOYMENT. VENTILATION AT WAITARA COURT. The failure of a Maori of Urenui, George Haupapa, to provide a promised job for Robbie Raumati, another young Maori, caused indignation to Raumati and his father, Raumati Ngaropi, with the result that Raumati, acting under instructions from his father, destroyed under the old Maori system of “utu,” or revenge, a short length of fence belonging to Haupapa. In so doing they came into conflict with European law, and they appeared before Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., at the Waitara court yesterday charged jointly with destroying on November 6 17 honeysuckle fencing posts and a quality of barbed wire, valued at £1 7s 3d, the property of Haupapa. The magistrate had rather a difficult task in reconciling the requirements of European justice with the necessity of considering the peculiar Maori psychology involved. Raumati and his son took the view that Haupapa had done them, a wrong and that the destruction of the fence was a just and proper action of disapproval and revenge. The magistrate treated the case informally and discovered that Haupapa had not made it clear to Robbie Raumati the job was not available. Haupapa was not willing to apologise in court, but both he and Raumati Ngaropi agreed to be friends “even as man and wife.” To enable the matter to be settled out of court if possible the magistrate adjourned the case, after pointing out that the court would deal severely with any further damage. Colour was added to the case by the employment of a Maori interpreter for Haupapa and Raumati Ngaropi. The latter, however, who signified his inability to speak English well enough to understand and make himself understood, lapsed occasionally into English. POLICE OUTLINE OF CASE. Haupapa and his wife lived near the Urenui pa, said Constable J. Tocher, but recently the trustees of the pa, of whom Raumati Ngaropi was one, granted Halipapa permission to build a house in the pa grounds. The house was partly built and a fence was erected. Haupapa was to take Robbie Raumati to Pehu with him on a shearing job, but he went away with another man. Robbie rode up and told Haupapa he had done “a dirty trick” and said he would go back and cut the wires of his fence.

Raumati Ngaropi was interviewed and said his son had been done an injustice through not being employed as first arranged. He declined to reconstruct the fence until Haupapa and his two mates came to him “on bended knees.” He had threatened when court proceedings were over “to go home and burn the house down.”

Raumati senr. interjected here and there and the magistrate asked Mr. Damon, the interpreter, to tell Raumati he would hear his explanation later. Mr. Damon explained this to Raumati, who nodded his head energetically and said, “Exactly.” Raumati had great power over his sons, said Constable Tocher. A heavy penalty was not asked for but some restraint was sought in view of the threat to burn down the house.

Robbie Raumati had admitted, when it was pointed out that he had done wrong, that he did not wish to displease his father. Raumati senr. had been actuated by a grievance against Haupapa and held that because of the wrong done he had a right to do this. In the early days when the Maoris had differences over property they usually ended drastically. Mr. Woodward asked the interpreter to obtain an explanation from Raumati. “Raumati says he took pity on Haupapa, gave him a home and reproved him for talking about his father-in-law,” said Mr. Damon. INTERPRETER DISREGARDED.

Raumati broke into voluble English and Mr. Damon told him to keep to Maori.

Constable Tocher (to Mr. Damon): Did Raumati give Haupapa permission to build a house or did Haupapa ask? Raumati (directly): He asked.

Mr. Damon: The house was erected and the fence erected by Raumati’s son. Constable Tocher (to Mr. Damon); And paid for?

Raumati: Paid for. Mr. Damon: “Haupapa cut his son therefore I cut his fence,” according to Maori law.

Mr. Woodward: And is that all the trouble? —Yes.

Haupapa and Robbie Raumati, who gave his answer in English, were questioned by Mr. Woodward regarding the promised job. It was discovered that a misunderstanding had arisen through Haupapa’s failure to tell Robbie he already had a man. The magistrate told Haupapa he should have told Robbie about that and saved all the trouble. “I am prepared to do right by you if you will apologise,” he added.

Haupapa: I don’t know about that. The magistrate explained to Raumati senr. that Haupapa had not meant any harm. Raumati was a powerful man; if he said “go,” people went and if he said “do this” people did it. Raumati had broken the law but if the matter could be settled by a talk he would prefer it. The whole affair had been caused through a misunderstanding. Raumati said through the interpreter that he would be pleased to do it that way providing that the expense to him and his son . was recompensed.

The magistrate: I do not know anything about that. He and Haupapa would be friends together even as man and wife, said Raumati in Maori.

There was no need for him to stress the penalties of the law if anything more occurred, said Mr. Woodward. He proposed to adjourn the case for a fortnight to see if a reconcilation could be properly effected.