STIRRING SCENES.

Wairarapa Age, 11 March 1930, Page 5

STIRRING SCENES.

BIG MAORI CELEBRATION IN POVERTY BAY.

GISBORNE, March 10. Stirring scenes were witnessed today at Tepoho O Rawiri, the new Maori . meeting house in Gisborne, which is to be officially opened to-mor-row morning by the Hon. G. W. Forbes. Yesterday and to-day, Maoris literally poured into Gisborne from all parts of the district, very large numbers of visitors coming down from the Waiomatatini Hui, which concluded on Sunday. To-morrow morning, more Maoris will arrive and before noon it is expected that there will be one thousand Natives assembled at the new Kaiti Pa. An advance guard of Takitimus and Ngatiporous came down first in readiness to receive the visitors on their arrival. This morning and this afternoon, stirring scenes were witnessed on the marae in front of the meeting house as the joint hosts to the hui welcomed in traditional manner the visiting tribes with chants, hakas, speeches and customary greetings, which were replied to in kind, the speech-makers being the elders of the respective tribes. The tennis courts at the new pa were receiving the last touches this morning in preparation for special matches and for the continuance of the Maori tennis championships, which will go on to-morrow. At Ruatoria the championships were carried to the round just prior to the semi-finals and the remaining games will occupy probably two or three days. In addition, the Morehu Cup, played for by teams representing the various distrites under Davis Cup rules with one minor modifications, is to be contested at the new pa.—(P.A.)