The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1914. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MAORI.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20113, 27 June 1914, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1914. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MAORI.

Recently there appeared in the Auckland "Star" a report published under th'i heading "Satan is Abroad in the Land," in which an old Maori of Te Rsrawa was made to say, amongst other things, that the Satanic spirit was playing havoc with the interests of the Maoris per medium of the present Government. The old chief was also made to say that the Maori is very simple and the Pakeha very wily. These and other allegations attributed to the orator of the. Rarawa. made amusing reading, and, indeed, the whole tirade was delightfully picturesque. It lacked, however, the attribute of accuracy, and it was promptly challenged by those acquainted with the facts. Among them was Mr. N. P. Kawiti, a Maori who knows what he is talking about., nnd unhesitatingly lie characterised Uie statements made by his- iriend of the Rarawa as absolutely untrue. ''I am a .Maori myself," says Kawiti, in a letter to the ."Northern Mail," "but I am noc so simple that I cannot see a ' hole in a ladder' as well as through the report of this speech. I claim that the Maori is not a people descended from African niggers, Australian blacks, or North American Indians. Our oldest traditions show that we started first from Itawbiti Nui, thence to Tawhiti Roa, thence to Tawhiti Wha Mamao, finishing our travels by settling in Ihono te Wairua, which means the termination of our journey. From what we can make out, Itawhiti Nui was part of the southwest of Asia.. Tawhiti Rca was Japan, and Tawhiti Wha Mamao was Samoa, while Ihono te Wairua is New Zealand itself. Never has a Government in Ne*.v Zealand tried to help the Maori more than the present one, under the ablo leadership of Mr. Massey.7' So much for the general denunciation of the Rarawa "Liberal." But Mr Kawiti goes fuither. "As for Satan," he proceeds, " J. should just like to be informed when that Satanic spirit first landed in New Zealand. Was it with the present Government, or was it not in 1840? Has not the despoiling of the iMa'oris of their hinds been carried on by land sharks, assisted with grog, ever since, and even before that date? As for bis saying .that 'we have had to fall back on the Treaty of Waifcangi,' this is only so many words. We have always stood on that Treaty, made by a just Queen of a just people, whidi gave usl (protection, and equal {Hghts with all other British subjects, «cs members of our glorious Empire, on which the sun never sets, as well as thft right to an equal footing with our Pr.keha brothers in this our native lan 1. (See article No. 3, Treaty of Waitangi.) Now, I would ask, has the Opposition, ■when in power, tried to place us on sin equa' footing ■with the Pakeliia ? Is it placing us en an t-qual footing when we have Maori Block Committees, Maori Land Boards, Councils, etc., to deal with, and to interfere ajid hamper our land dealing (as if we. are children <;r even fools)? All of this costs the country a. large amount of money, which could be far better spent on loading the back-blocks in the country, and which causes the Maori to lose vast si'in> of money every year in the Bales of his land, as, owing to these restrictions on native lands the Maori can never obtain as niiich for his lands as can Europeans. What did the Opposition do to help this matter? Again, was it the present Government which formed the Block Committee, Land Boards, etc., to kai the Maoris' land Was it the present Government, which took my lands (35,000 acres, known as Motatau No. 2. or Motataii No. o lands), or lands all over the North, many thousands of acres, at prices less thar. one-half of the just value, in spite of the objections and remonstrances of us, the owners? No, it was. not! I <!o not care one jot more for Mr Massey thai1. I do for Sir Joseph Ward, but I like fair play and justice. The Maori can see who are their real friends (and the 'cloven foot' sticking out also), and I must say that I, as a leading man of the Ngapuhi, consider that the present Government is the first for many years which has tried to place the feet - of the Maori with those of their Pakoha friends and give them their rights— which is all they ask." Mr Kawiti argues wisely and displays a thorough!v understanding of the true position. And every elector, Maori and European, who contrasts the blighting effects of the "taiboa"' policy of the "Liberals" with the equitable and statesmanlike p-oliey of the Reformers, will agree that the picturesque protestations of the sage of Te Rarawa is just what Mr Kawiti

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