MAORIS AND THEIR KURIS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 410, 30 January 1890, Page 2

MAORIS AND THEIR KURIS.

Great trouble has always been experienced on the East Coast in regard to the collection of the dog tax from Maori owners of canine pets. The Maori has ever an extreme affection for the mongrels which roam at will about their settlements, but not always being possessed of the necessary funds, and when so possessed being unwilling to fiart with it for such purposes, the Maoris give the collectors much trouble. On one occasion a respected County Clerk, who had been honored with the additional appointment of dog-tax collector, was given reason to remember his term of office. He was on duty bound, but some of the dusky ladies who presided over the settlement upon which he made his attack became warlike in their disposition, with the result that the collector or inspector, or whatever his official term was, was routed, and had to flee,, after having had an experience which forcibly reminded him of the tale of the Kilkenny cats. The Maoris, however, do the thing in quite different style at Waitangi (Chatham Islands), and the experience there has given an excuse, for renewing, the story about the “old days” in Otago, when prisoners who turned up late after being off for a day were punished by being locked out. A Waitangi correspondent writes Collecting the dog tax has been a fruitful source of fun. The n dives mostly regarded being locked up as a great spree. Indeed, many of them lave told me that they were much better f .d in gaol than out. Our popular constable, when out in pursuit of natives who had refused to appear at Court when summoned, met one of them, and was p oceeding to arrest him, but the prisoner stated he was on his way to Waitangi to purchase some twine and needles, etc., for a squatter, and it was urgently necessary that these articles should reach their destination. The prisoner further promised that when he had performed his errand he would return to Waitangi and give himself up. He was allowed to proceed, and he kept hts word. On another occasion, as Constables Rayner, Webb, and Oliver, were bringing in a batch of prisoners, the latters’ horses became impatient and started off at a gallop. The constables essayed to follow,' but were soon left far behind j however, they held on, and on passing Odman’s Hotel saw the prisoners having a "nip,” and were invited to partake also. It is not known whether the invitation was accepted. Again, several natives were apprehended at the Waitangi pa, but as subsequent events proved, one was overlooked. This one, hearing that his friends had been taken, proceeded to the Court, and inveighed most bitterly at the slight cast upon him in not arresting him in an orthodox manner. His friends got, a month, but in consideration of his having voluntarily given himself up he was consigned to gaol for fourteen days. At the end of his term he declined to leave, and had to be gently expelled. . This treatment appeared to him to be impolite and cruel, so he proceeded to the Resident Magistrate and demanded to be locked up again, stating that he could not leave his friends. His request was, of course, refused, so he camped in an old whare close to the gaol, and. remained there till his friends were liberated.