Te Pipiwharauroa 99

Te Pipiwharauroa 99

No. 99

1906/06

(Maori Version at NZETC.)

[1] Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 99, Gisborne, June 1906.

THE TWO MINISTERS

New Zealand, in the house of sorrow, laments with groaning; our stomachs churned, our hearts were shocked, at the arrival of the news that Mr Seddon had died. He collapsed while crossing the bosom of the Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, struck down suddenly by the strong hand, the firm hand of death.

Still ringing in his ears were the words of praise and honour of the great people of Australia as he turned homewards to resume the command of his canoe, Aotearoa, which he has guided for thirteen years, when he was struck by the powerful hand of death and fell and entered upon the long rest. Death has the supreme power and does not discriminate as to whom he takes. Mr Seddon died on his marae, the great council halls of the Kingdom. Mr Seddon was the leading man in the New Zealand Parliament; he brought forward many important laws, laws which no other governments in the world have passed, laws from which great nations are learning. There are the Old Age Pensions Act, the law enabling poor people to be settled on the land, the law giving the people the power to abolish the sale of liquor, the law to settle industrial disputes between bosses and workers, the law enabling the building of houses for workers, the law setting up maternity hospitals for the poor, and many others. Mr Seddon made the name of New Zealand known throughout the world. He it was who called New Zealand, ‘God’s own country.’ The words David used about Abner are applicable to Mr Seddon: ‘Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?’ [2 Samuel 3.38]

‘It is broken down, O white heron feather,

My defence against the greatness of evil.

The meetings are held in Wellington

But I alone experience the fall of a great house.

Farewell, sir, under the hand of fate,

Pull out the shoot of the flax.

You stand in the first rank,

My important one, my great one, my boast

To heaven. Leave his people in their inconsolable pain.’

There is another minister who has died suddenly and whom we lament. The whole country was not made aware of his passing, not even the villages close to the place where he died, there was no lamentation, no speeches, and no flags were flown. Matiaha Pahewa was nearly 90 when he died on 5th June. For 50 years he tended his Lord’s vineyard, preaching the Gospel – for 50 years he worked for the good of all, without praise or honour from people and on a stipend of perhaps £50 a year. Some people have worked hard because they will be paid a great deal, or for praise, or to be spoken about by people, but the greatest person is the one who works faithfully, not for the pay or to be praised by people, but because he has been called to work for people and for God. Mr Seddon was a great man, a good man, the Minister of the King,, but we do not know if Matiaha was not even greater as God’s minister. God measures things in a different way to men. [2] Scripture says, ‘Those things which men think of as important are loathsome to God.’ ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.’ [Psalm116.15] Farewell, sir. Go to your rest. You will hear the welcoming voice saying, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your Master.’ [Matthew 25.23] There is the imperishable crown kept by your Lord for you.

THE MIND OF THE MAORI AGAIN.

When we had printed our article last month about the nature of the Maori mind, afterwards another thought came to us about the Maori mind, an aspect that has not been interfered with by Pakeha hands. It is true that there are many very wise men amongst the Maori and so we wonder very much how some of them do not think about some things that are very clear, but are confused. So, for many years the Pakeha doctors have studied the human body, the treatments that are required to heal it or to ease those illnesses. The doctor says to the Maori, ‘Your illness is such-and-such.’ Afterwards the Maori goes to the tohunga who says, ‘Your illness is such-and-such,’ and not what the doctor diagnosed. He believes in his heart what the tohunga says and that he knows, while the doctor who spent much money and many years learning is not trusted by the Maori. The Maori believes in his dreams rather than in the word of the wise man. Liquor is a Pakeha thing, but the Pakeha does not drink Three Star Brandy without diluting it with water, and the Pakeha says nothing about brandy being a medication for all the diseases of the flesh, unlike a certain woman, we do not know if she is wise or stupid, in whom the Maori mind puts its trust. We have printed the condemnation by Doctor Kirk, a highly educated man, but the mind of the Maori will not believe this wise doctor, rather they believe in Hikapuhi. If a deceiving person sets himself us as a tohunga and a prophet, that mind believes him, while the words of people, good people are not believed but are derided.

The time is coming when this aspect of us Maori will be brought to an end by education. The Te Aute students enter into the activities of tohunga for pleasure and not because they believe in those activities. Some Maori say that it is a waste to educate our children in Pakeha schools, rather they should be taught to build houses. This idea is foolish. The important first thing is to educate the mind and after that the hands. The child whose mind is educated will swiftly learn technical skills. Have we not seen and learned that the people who do well at school also do well at work and make progress upwards, and those hapu who do not do well at school stand still or go backwards or, at best, only crawl along.

A DECEITFUL TOHUNGA

The readers of Te Pipiwharauroa have heard about the fall of Dr Dowie of Zion, America. Dowie was the leading Pakeha tohunga in recent years and his mischief caught on. Dowie said that he was Elijah and many, many people followed and believed him. Dowie’s congregation met in Melbourne and agreed this motion which was put forward by one of Dowie’s officials.

‘Since it has been discovered that John Alexander Dowie has transgressed all Ten Commandments, and the administrators of Zion have found out his dishonesty, his waste of money, his theft, his lying, his [?tango tikanga - ?plagiarism], his cruelty to the people who have been expelled by him, and his blasphemy in saying that the had the authority of God to cover over his wicked actions, this congregation in Melbourne give up listening to his teaching and reject his authority. This gathering supports Rev. McCullagh as the person to make known these reasons to the peoples of Australia and of New Zealand as well.

The dishonesty of this tohunga has been disclosed. Were we Maori a resolute people we would have revealed the dishonest activities of our tohunga who are misleading us.

[3] 

THE TUHOE PROPHET

I have received many letters from the area of Whakatane and its environments telling me of the supreme Maori prophet and saying also that King Edward VII will arrive in Gisborne on 25th June and that that prophet will go there with all Tuhoe and will lay down 4,000,000 million pounds and the Pakeha people will be washed from this country. Some 500 to 700 people have followed that prophet but from my English New Zealand newspapers I have learned that people believe what they have written to me. Therefore I have sent letters to some of the Tuhoe chiefs and others saying that King Edward will not be coming to Gisborne on 25th June, and that the Pakeha people have not heard and do not know where in the world he will be. The second thing I said was that in the time of Noah he had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. The story is as follows, Japheth was scattered over the face of the earth and returned to live in the tents of Shem. Now I have heard it said that we Maori are descendants of Japheth. If these stories are true then it is right that the Pakeha people should come amongst us Maori people. Another thing, the Maori People have pledged themselves to the law of man and of God which is called the Treaty of Waitangi, therefore why should the Pakeha not live in this land? My friends, let there be an end to Te Kooti and Titokowaru and the flashing of the sword and the shedding of human blood and the blood of the land in this country. But as for activities to heal the sick, about them we are very happy at heart, but as for the doing of miracles to draw people so that they turn to selling food and possessions and land too, perhaps, to have money and clothes and to follow the prophet, I think this is very different. It means losing one’s possessions, being cheated, throwing one’s money into a kit. If perhaps the Maori had the knowledge of the Pakeha who made rifles and powder and bullets, and telegrams bringing news from far away and telegrams which tell us the gossip so that we know in truth what is being said and done in the world, and telephones for talking on with wires stretched out without posts or anything so that one’s voice reaches the ears of a friend at a distance of perhaps ten or a hundred miles away, and the machines which scan the human body showing the sinews and the heart pumping the blood to all parts of the body, and the trains and ships and cars, and the electricity which cannot be seen by the eye which drives the trams that carry people, and the torpedoes which dive through the deep sea to destroy the enemy, and the smelting of rocks and sand so that iron flows out, and the pounding of stones in which is found the fats of the earth, that is, gold, silver, copper, brass and precious stones – if the Maori perhaps had those powers and abilities, it may have been as in the time when people mistakenly tried to build a tower with its pinnacle reaching heaven, and great and many were the people given by the Angels the power of doing miracles so that people would believe, but the one outcome was affliction and great sorrow. Also, this prophet has fostered a wicked thing insofar as, according to the English language newspapers, the children have stopped going to school. And the prophet has walked on the waves at the mouth of the Ohiwa River. However his miracles were not like those of Simon Magus who demonstrated his miracles to the king but the consequence was affliction. Enough of this! I am someone who supports the doctors who heal the sick, but if what the prophet pointed out is fulfilled and King Edward VII arrives in Gisborne on 25th June then, my friends, let us go and see King Edward VII. But if not then it would be good if the arm of the law reached out to the prophet and those who follow him and support his statement that the Pakeha be eliminated from this country.

Eruera Te Kahu.

There are stories that one of this prophet’s demons [atua] is a dog, by which he diagnoses sickness. We asked a Tuhoe man why this man was set up as a prophet. He replied that it was to get a name. He sought to have his name known by the nation, because when Wereta set himself up as a tohunga his name became widely known, and this rascal wants his name better known than that of Wereta. He did not think to take his time as did Wereta over getting trusted and having people praise him, rather he made bold statements which were known to be untrue. In this way perhaps his insignificant name would be exalted. So Te Rua says that here in Gisborne there is a diamond worth £4,000,000 which he will find and with which he will purchase New Zealand. These statements are fine for making people laugh, but we hear that Tuhoe strongly believes its prophet. When news of Te Rua emerged our hearts were surprised; perhaps this was someone who had been taken to gaol. We asked a [4] Tuhoe man if Te Rua is someone with a bad name, but that man said, no. But the Pakeha say that Te Rua has been put in gaol for theft. This is our opinion. It is a very remarkable thing that a man should come out of prison and set himself up as a tohunga, a prophet and a worker of miracles. Gaol is a great place in which to pass the exams for being a tohunga and a prophet. All the tohunga we know are rascals, every one of them. We know that the female tohunga are foolish and mad – it was their foolishness that led them to be tohunga. Do not be surprised, my friends, at Te Pipiwharauroa’s words – that Pipiwharauroa gnashes its teeth at the practices of tohunga, at their deceitful works. Do you not wonder that God should be so misled as to come upon the rascals who declare that they are tohunga? – Editor.]

OUR WELL-BEING DEPENDS ON FARMING

Let me say a word about the Government’s idea of helping Maori into dairy farming, and of giving cows or sheep to Maori. This is very good, but I am someone who gave sheep to my Maori relatives to breed, and before two years had passed they had been sold. I heard eventually that the sheep had been taken on by Pakeha. However the good thing about the Government proposals is that they provide security against the skulduggery which would take away the land; the bad thing is that the children are left without land and the food of some is stolen and they are badly treated. Therefore I think that it is better that the lands be divided up amongst families and that they set themselves up as corporations. If the Government lends them money then the Government is able to appoint the person they want to be responsible for and to manage the farm according to the provisions of the members of the Corporation, but the person with over five thousand pounds of collateral for his trusteeship and management should be concerned, fearful, strong and careful. I cannot close my statements about farming being the very best way for Maori to earn a living without saying that this way will not change the smoke that emerges from your house but it will always smell sweet, and this way of earning a livelihood will keep shame at bay, and this way of earning a livelihood will enable you to call out with love to the poor and the orphan who travel the road hungry to turn aside to your home, to sit down and to sleep. The fragrance of your heart will be good as you help and support the practices of the Christian faith, of Christ. The parent will be able to send his children to schools where they can learn manual skills and knowledge so that they can support themselves. But farming is the best living. The body will not suffer from many pains because sweat will be pouring down every day, the body and the muscles will be exercised, and the body’s blood will flow freely pumped along its paths by the heart. With all my heart I believe this. I have spent many months and years travelling to observe the villages and the hapu and the Maori people and I have noted the laziness and the foolishness of some Maori. It is because of laziness and foolishness that Maori children are suffering, and I see many, many children being born to their mothers who, through laziness and foolishness when it comes to providing foods appropriate to the stomach of a child, feed them with food which is alright for adults but which cause stomach pains for a child. Sometimes they give the child cold food and the stomach is affected by the cold. It becomes a cause of sickness and eventually death. One mistake that Maori make is to put a lot of clothes on a child, even though it is summer, so that the perspiration drips off it. And then on another day when it is very cold it is sent out with little on and develops a cough which can become a cause of death. I saw one person who on some days ate four or five times, and on other days only twice or even once. I know that the stomachs of some people are lacerated because they are starving. I know that on some days when the person has not eaten the stomach has started to work and to grind itself and this can be the cause of illness. But if there are fixed hours for eating in the morning and at midday and in the evening, and appropriate clothes are worn and the body is kept warm, and the person sets about work, he will not quickly be afflicted with sickness. One matter about which Maori are in error is to do with his bowel movements and urinating. At times the bowels are constipated and the flow of urine blocked: people call it a Maori sickness and they set about finding a tohunga to work on it. They do not know of any native laxatives for such conditions, so they sit there at a loss, looking this way and that, while the sick person rolls over crying and looking as if he is mad so that Maori say he has been bewitched. My friends, if food rests well in the stomach then every part of the body will be well; [5] if it is bad then the rest will be too. Look at one of the predators of the sea, an octopus: if his stomach is fit and well all parts of him are well, but if his stomach is seized then every part of him becomes lethargic. However I have learned that the Maori are a very difficult people. When it comes to teaching, if they look at what is being said (I know that there are some people who have spoken to me), he and those like him hold firmly to Maori ways. But when I look at his village there are holes in the walls of the house, and it is damp inside – the earth on which he sits and sleeps. When I go to the areas outside to look, I see that there is no latrine; there is  no unfailing spring of water but only a [?he wai kopiro noa iho, he tiko kora noa iho]. Then I say to him, ‘Friend, this is neither the Maori way or the Pakeha way, because the vent to let out the smoke of the fire and the steam from people or food should be in the roof. It should be dry inside and water should be from a reliable spring and having a latrine on the edge of a cliff makes you like a hen or an animal. This man is sad, but this article is not intended to make people sad but to show ways of improving the lot of the Maori People.

From your friend,

Eruera Te Kahu.

A LOVING DEPICTION

An Englishman had the idea of using his skills to produce a token of his love for the service of God. He has sent a picture to every part of the Lord’s vineyard. He had the idea of painting a picture as a gift to the Maori Church and his painting has arrived at Te Raukahikatea and is hanging in the College. It is four feet high and two-and-a-half feet wide. The painting depicts Christ when he was being whipped by the soldiers before his crucifixion; the crown of thorns is on his brow; there is a reed in his hand and his skin is all lacerated by the whipping. The name of the painting is, ‘The Man of Sorrows.’ The man who painted it is Wallace Cadman. Giving the fruit of his work to God is an act of love. We thank this man for his noble thought. We have heard that this man has also sent a painting to Mahuta.

ALFONSO AND ENA

On Monday 4th of this month, the King of the Spaniards, Alfonso [XIII], married the niece of King Edward, Ena [Victoria Eugenie], daughter of Prince Henry of Battenburg. This girl is an orphan. Her father was Prince Henry, a German, who died in West Africa when he went to fight. Alfonso was still a child when Spain fought with America. Last year Alfonso visited the royal palaces of Europe seeking a wife for himself. He found the one he liked, Ena, in England. The nations were angry at their engagement. The royal women of Europe were angry that Alfonso had chosen an English woman, a Protestant woman. On the other side were the people of England who were angry that this woman, a descendant of English kings and a Protestant, should marry a Roman Catholic king. The custom was that Ena would abandon her faith and enter that of her husband but neither Alfonso nor Ena paid any attention. The Times newspaper of London said that England would not approve of a person abandoning their faith unless there was something wrong with her faith, and certainly not in order to marry a husband in order to become a queen. So great was the love of Alfonso and Ena that they objected, but Ena was baptised into the Church of Rome.

The Spaniards rejoiced greatly at their young king and at his marriage. The Prince of Wales and his wife and other relatives of Princess Ena attended. But there was an atrocity on the day of the marriage. While the thousands were shouting and spreading the road with flowers, a man called Morral threw dynamite amongst the bundles of flowers but it missed the carriage of the king. Twenty-five people were killed and the horses. Some soldiers and noblemen and noblewomen died. Morral fled. One day soon after he was seen in a different town; he was travelling by land. He shot one policeman and then shot himself. Morral was the son of a very wealthy man.

………………………………………

We are delighted that Hamiora Hei has got his LLB. He can now be admitted as a lawyer in the presence of the Supreme Court.

[6] WHAREKAHIKA TO WHAREKAURI

By Tipiwhenua.

Chapter 4.

I have set down what I know of the Moriori, and now I direct my account to the majority of the inhabitants of the Chatham Islands, their occupations and their food. There is no country to compare with The Chathams for the quantity of food. No country can compare with this when it comes to eels; the eels are monsters on this island. It is said that horses slip on the eels when they are crossing fords. I thought that they were making fun of me. To the north of the lagoon there is a ford, some four miles across, and consisting of water and swamp. During the summer the water diminishes and forms pools in the places where the horses have trampled, and there are many eels there, so that the horses slip and slide. When my Pakeha friend crossed this place his horse was startled by the eels so that he fell into the water and his horse bolted for land. I was told, though I did not see it, that it is said that in one small stream called Waipapa that flows into the lagoon, in the evenings when there is no wind, the eels appear above the surface and rush, like the kahawai to the shore. The main work associate with eels on the Chathams is gathering them, not finding and killing them. A man takes a hook; wherever there is a swelling of the kohuwai [a greenish moss-like growth in slow-running fresh water – Williams] he strikes with his hook, and before long his bag is full. There are many different types of eel – fat and large. One of the abundant fish in the lagoon is flounder. Killing eels is like sewing clothes. The place where the flounders are piled up is at the mouth of the lagoon, at Awapatiki; thousands creep around there. In the sea are groper, conger eels and blue cod. People fish for groper from the rocks. It is said that in former times groper were caught in the lagoon. A major food in the Chathams is birds – albatrosses {?gannets], mutton-birds, godwits, grey ducks, and swans (toana in their language). There were many pigeons in former times which fed on karaka (kōpī in their language). Karaka and akeake are the main trees on this island and akeake is used for fence posts. The swan was brought over from New Zealand. Because there was so much food in the form of eels and kohuwai [sic] this bird increased greatly in numbers and it grows very large in the Chathams. This is one of the best birds of the island and is also one of the sweetest birds I have eaten. The most abundant bird on the Chathams is the duck. Wherever one goes there is the duck, and the ponds are inhabited by ducks. Now let’s turn to the sea birds, the mutton-bird and the albatross. I shan’t say much about the mutton-bird because it is widely used in other places. The albatross is the best food on the Chathams, that is, the young; it is said that it is larger than the plucked adult and sweeter than the mutton-bird which is all fat. The albatross islands are Rangitutahi (The Sisters) and Motuhara. For many years the people of the Chathams sent food to feed the many people who gathered at Parihaka, food for the tables of Te Whiti. They put every effort into gathering food and they denied themselves so that there would be plenty of food to send to Te Whiti. It was a major disaster which stopped them sending food to Parihaka. It takes one day to sail to the mutton-bird island and return. After three years the people of the Chathams decided to go to kill mutton-birds on Rangitutahi to send to Parihaka. They went to the northernmost point to wait until the sea was calm. After a long wait the elders returned home leaving the young people to look after the boats. Afterwards the young people launched the boats and sailed to the island. When they arrived at the island some of the people went inland while others remained with the boats. When they arrived at the right place all the young albatrosses were still there; the albatrosses had flown to the open sea to find food for their young. Because they were so plump the chicks did not move. They were struck with sticks and thrown down to the sea where they were gathered up by the people in the boats. Soon the boats were sinking. The people on land were told to stop the killing. The boats being full, the sails were raised and they sailed for the mainland. As the boats were returning a wind came up. As they neared the land it was becoming dark and they could not identify the landing place. The boat that made it to land was the one that kept its sail in place, those that put up two sails all capsized. Seven people died, all of them young. This was a terrible tragedy for the Chathams and the sound of lamentation was heard throughout the island. Another tragedy affected the Pakeha who were sailing from Rangiauria to Wharekauri when their boat overturned and six, all six, were tipped into the sea. There were no survivors. It is appropriate to call these islands ‘a ship’s graveyard’. In all, 41 ships have been wrecked here; some of their bones still remain. With the deaths [7] in the sea the people of the Chathams gave up killing albatrosses and stopped sending food to Te Whiti. However they can go to kill albatrosses by hiring a steamer at a cost of £40 a day.

The main source of income for the people of the Chathams, Pakeha and Maori, is rearing sheep and sending the sheep and the wool to Lyttelton and Timaru. Pigs are also raised. The difficulty for the people of the Chathams is the cost of transporting the food by ship – 4s for one sheep. Most of the country is divided up amongst the families; the boundaries have been determined by the local people. On most of the Chathams some people have little land and others have a lot. Recently all the Maori migrated to Taranaki; perhaps twenty remained. It is one of Te Whiti’s principles that his people do not have dealings with the Land Court. Consequently, when the first court sitting was held in the Chathams, Te Whiti’s people did not attend the adjudication on their lands. One man, a half-caste called Naera Te Piringatapu, did make a stand and got most of the land for himself and his family. He had no fears of the court. Some of the Maori of the Chathams live without land. When a second sitting of the court was held recently they considered the matter and stood to contest their lands. But those people who still held to the principles of Te Whiti did not seek their lands. The Maori of the Chathams live in the same way as the Pakeha, they are scattered, each man living in his own place.

It is said that one Chathams chief sent a shipload of cattle. He sent one ship full of cattle to help in the work of Parihaka.

The first people to preach the Gospel in the Chathams were German. One of those people is still alive and living still in the Chathams. From what I saw and from what I have heard their work did not grow. Afterwards came Bishop Selwyn and this was the beginning of the growth of the Church of England. It spread throughout the islands and churches were built in every place. The last leader of the worship of the Church was a Moriori called Tapu. With the death of Tapu there was no further worship in the Chathams. The Wesleyans were another denomination that worked here and their last leader of worship was Te Kooti. When the faith had died out in the Chathams, the work of Te Whiti arrived and all the people went over to it with the exception of the Moriori. They held to the faith because it was the faith that sustained them when they were being annihilated by the Maori. The Mormons stayed for two years in the Chathams before giving up and returning to faithful tribes to pester them. Maori had no services, but the Pakeha had a church and the Pakeha minister came once a year to lead worship for the Pakeha. This year the two of us went for five weeks before returning so that I could reach Te Rau school in time for the start. I was welcomed and led worship in all the villages. Two of the people did not like me and what I preached, one of the leading elders and his son. When they saw me they turned away without a sound or even a nod of the head. The wrong that I committed was preaching the name of Jesus Christ, preaching that people should live well, fear God, do away with evil-doing, teach children to do good works and to think good things, and that they might not know pain and sorrow in this world and the next. For such speaking I was condemned. Perhaps had I been drunk and disorderly and had misled the girls I would have been praised and not condemned. It is because I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is right for people that I preached. I wonder that the disciples of Te Whiti do not go to other lands, along with the Maori People, to proclaim what they believe to be the truth, but rather they keep for themselves this salvation, if it is salvation.

My stories are piling up, but let me say something about the imprisonment of Te Kooti and his people in 1869. It is because of this that this island is well-known on the East Coast. The Government’s idea was that when the land was peaceful the Hauhau would be returned to their homes. However, when the supply ships arrived they were seized by the prisoners. One was beached and the other was used to return them to New Zealand. At sea, an elder called Te Warihi was thrown into the sea. The Hauhau said that the reason the elder was murdered was as a sacrifice to the gods to bring an end to the storm. But the people of the Chathams say that Te Warihi was killed because that elder, along with Keeke, had betrayed Te Kooti. Keeke did not board [8] the ship, knowing that he could not avoid being struck down. The accounts of the murder of Te Warihi are pitiful. His wife and child were with him in the ship when he was fetched on deck and thrown into the sea alive, leaving the woman and child to grieve for their parent. This was Te Kooti’s first murder. I hear that some people tried to justify this disgusting murder. Some people say that when Te Warihi was thrown into the sea it became calm. It is said that Te Kooti’s prayer was a prayer to God, but I know that the only gods of the heathen are like Moloch, the god who strikes and binds people. Nothing in this world or the next can justify murder. Some people say that the sea became calm when Te Warihi was thrown in. Murder is murder, and let it be named as such. These are the descendants of Te Warihi who have been born into this world:

Te Warihi = Wikitoria

Paratene Tatae = Hera

Moana Kaikiri Kapua = Reweti Kohere Kauna Reremoana

People, I bring an end to my stories. I wanted to write these stories in a book for coming generations to see. Kia ora, all you people of the Chathams, Pakeha and Maori. Your blessings will not be forgotten. If it happens that we meet each other again that will be great, but if we do not see each other in this world we shall see each other in our eternal home. Kia ora! Kia ora!

The End.

A ZULU ORATOR

The most famous man in New York in these days is Pixley Seme, a Zulu from Africa. He was educated at Columbia College and gained the gold medal for Oratory, beating the Europeans. Last year he finished his studies in America and went to Oxford, England, to study to be a lawyer. His ambition is to become an excellent lawyer for his people.

ALCOHOL AS MEDICINE

[When we heard about Hikapuhi, called by her friends ‘the nurse’, and her use of alcohol as a medicine, we thought it right to publish the words of Doctor Kirk of Edinburgh about the nature of alcohol. A nurse is a person who knows how to care for the sick and to administer medicines to the sick, but we are not aware that Hikapuhi has passed the nursing examinations, nor are we aware that it is an accepted practice for nurses to administer ‘Three Star Brandy’ as a medicine for every sickness. We have heard that people have learned to drink alcohol under the ministrations of Hikapuhi, but who knows how many people have died through imbibing this strong drink? Why would people and this tohunga want to use alcohol as a medicine? Alcohol was Wereta’s medicine. They know that it is a drink from which people flee. – Editor.]

Doctor Kirk says:

Some people are using alcohol, that is, brandy, whisky, rum, wine, beer, stout and other alcoholic drinks as medicines for many illnesses. We have seen no benefit from using alcohol as a medicine, and we condemn the practice. In writings about illnesses we have said many words about alcohol being a medicine, but this is the current view of the effects of alcohol on the body and the healing abilities of alcohol.

A major task of the doctor is to care for and stimulate the nerve-masses of a person on which a person’s life depends. The impact of alcohol is to weaken and destroy these nerve-masses. We know the quantity of drugs in alcohol that can kill a strong man; he will die as if shot in the head with a bullet. Half that quantity of drugs causes someone to lose their mind. A quarter will cause them to stagger. If that quarter is halved then the body is stimulated. The impact of a small amount is the same as that of a large amount – a person will become ill. The difference is that one amount is very strong and the other, being very small, is weak. However both are poisonous. The main impact of alcohol is to diminish the strength of the person, whereas the right impact of all medicines is to strengthen a person. The main work of alcohol is to fight against life, preparing a person to be struck down by death.

This is a major problem afflicting female children. Many girls have been taught by their mothers to drink while they work and to drink always brandy. They are oblivious to their work, and they think [9] that it is a good thing. Indeed, if the stomach is not strong, a person may be given alcohol to drink while being unaware that what he is doing is reducing the strength of his body and aggravating the illness. We have seen people dying who cannot be easily treated because they have been treated with brandy or some other alcoholic drink.

Little children are being made to drink brandy and we believe that they are dying of alcohol poisoning and would not have died had they not been made to drink it. But we know well that most people are seeing the foolishness of using alcohol as a medicine.

Alcohol is not a food; it is not incorporated into the body. If milk is drunk it is lost within the body, it is digested in the body and does not come out of the body, whereas alcohol keeps emerging in the breath, through the skin or in the urine.

INTERROGATION OF TE AUTE

On 10th May, the Commission of Enquiry into the school land at Te Aute met at Napier. The members of the Commission were Judge [C C] Kettle, Alexander Hogg, Member for Masterton, Huntley Eliott], Inspector of Mines of Te Hata, Robert Lee, School Inspector of Te Hata, and Apirana Ngata, Member for Tai Rawhiti; Mr Grace was the interpreter.

The main issues laid down by the Governor (the Government0, for the Commission to look into are the following:

(1) The area of the land and what it produces.

(2) The management by the trustees of the land; money from leases, money from sales, any reserve monies and what such monies are for.

(3) If the purposes for which the land was given are being realised, namely, the establishment of a school in the Ahuriri area for the purpose of educating children of both races living in New Zealand, under the authority of England. If not, why has this not happened?

(4) If all the provisions of the restrictions are not being fulfilled, to see if it is possible to find a new means of fulfilling of those provisions.

(5) If the children attending the school or schools are getting the best value. Are both Maori and Pakeha children being taught technical skills or farming?

(6) To look into the amount of money being used by each of the schools and how such money was spent.

The Commission summoned the Trustees of Te Aute School to appear before the Commission because assertions were made about them, specifically, it has been said that land for rent was not advertised and that the rent was not very high.

Pera Wheraro said that the land was theirs but he was not clear about the reasons for the Commission.

Mr Bird, Inspector of Native Schools, stood to point out that he was the spokesman for the Education Department, but he was not there to accuse. He had nothing to say about the aspect of giving over land for leasing; he was there to help the Commission, but he would speak about teaching trades.

The Chairman of the Commission said that he was sorry that the Education Department had no complaints to make because they were the ones who instigated this Commission. He had sent his telegram to that Department asking them to reveal the name of the person who was critical of the leases and had had no reply from the Department. The Commission had not yet been advertised, but he had sent out a notice. He wanted the Maori also to have their say.

Wiri Erueti said that the Commission came as a surprise and Maori had not yet been able to meet to arrange their submissions. Please allow the Maori to prepare their submissions.

The area of the land is 7779 acres; 400 were given by the Government and the remainder by the Maori.

Bishop of Waiapu.

The Bishop of Waiapu was the first witness called by the Commission. The Bishop said that he was one of the trustees; his associates were Sir William Russell, J B Fielder, Hemi N Wiremu, and J H Coleman. He had been a trustee for eleven years. They were not involved with the management of the finances or the running of the school. The land was leased to Archdeacon Williams for £2,200 a year. The Archdeacon and Mr Thornton, Principal, have all the running of the school, and they consented to what the two of them did. The Government [10] paid the school for some of the pupils. They would consent to some new practices if they could implement them. Hukarere is one school which is supported by money from Te Aute. The land on which Hukarere was built was owned by the Bishop of Waiapu; it was freely given. In the first years the Bishop alone was responsible for this school; later it was handed over to the Trustees of Te Aute. Miss Williams has all the running of Hukarere, but the Government Inspector does the Inspections. The accounts are submitted each year to the Waiapu Synod, and every third year to the General Synod of New Zealand, and the accounts are audited. He did not know about the old leases; the present leases are for twelve years, three of these years have now passed. The offering of the leases was not advertised. The land has been valued and my colleagues have set the rents at £2,200, which is higher than the Archdeacon wished. It is our wish that the Archdeacon continues to oversee the land as an adviser and manager, for he it was who established the school. Great benefit came from the school by the giving of the land to Mr Williams. Through the efforts of Mr Williams and Mr Thornton accounts of the school have reached all places. I have not heard any criticisms of Te Aute, although the Government wants the pupils taught trades. The pupils have been taught carpentry. The reason why Mr Thornton was not in favour of teaching trades was that it would interfere with other works, but perhaps he would take the advice of the trustees. And getting money would also facilitate the achievement of new activities.

In response to the Commission’s questions, the Bishop said that the buildings at Hukarere were freely given, and much of Mr Williams’ own money was used on Hukarere and Te Aute. It is not possible to list all those who have emerged from Te Aute. Apirana Ngata and Doctor Pomare were taught at Te Aute. He has not yet heard of a Te Aute student who has reached the top in the retail business. Hukarere costs £900 a year to run. All the buildings at Te Aute belong to the school; only the livestock belongs to Mr Williams. Te Aute has provided great benefit to the Maori People. He believes that the object of the school is to provide an education for Maori especially, but Pakeha pupils who go there are advantaged. He has not yet heard a word from parents requesting that their children be taught farming, neither has the Te Aute Students’ Association asked that trades be taught.

(To be continued.)

DEATH OF MR SEDDON

By Pine Tamahori.

Mr Seddon has gone to the land of the many, of the myriads. He has disappeared from the sight of this great congregation which he has carefully led for thirteen years. His guiding voice is no longer heard in the Lower House. He has left his colony still rejoicing for these many years. He has been taken away by death leaving behind hearts that are sad at being deprived of this great treasure. Now that he has been taken away our hearts reflect with wonder at the many different paths taken by this great man. He sailed on the tide, of which it is said that in the affairs of men, if a man takes it at the right time it leads on to fortune [Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3], and he does not know that he was called at that time to put his hands to the plough. Through long service and much service the machine ends its working life.

The head which always thought of what things were best for the people, the hands which stretched out to those who were weak, the mouth which lamented with those who were suffering and which was angry at the many things they were deprived of. He has gone from within New Zealand; he has gone also from the group of those who gave counsel to the realm of England. All he did was done impartially and energetically. In his hands the management of all kinds of things was easily done, things which would have been difficult for some other administrators. He devised his laws for the betterment of the people and also as examples to other places. Clearly he had faults but now these are forgotten and his good works are remembered; he has entered the roll-call of the great people of the world. He took pride in New Zealand and New Zealand honoured him, and his name will not disappear from that story in the coming years.

In the midst of his work came the voice which cannot be denied and he went, leaving behind him his work for the colony and for the world too. By the labours of such a man a people are established and strengthened. His memorial stone is in the hearts of thousands. Although Mr Seddon did not go to the universities and was not from a privileged background, through his strength he reached the highest position and brought his people many benefits.

[11] Mr Seddon began to appear tired during his last days in Australia. On Sunday 10th, half an hour before the departure of the ship he went to sleep. When he awoke he was very well except for pains in his shoulder and his stomach and in the evening he sat talking with his wife and his secretary waiting for the bell for the evening meal. He lay down on the sofa with all his clothes over him. At twenty minutes past six his wife looked at him and his eyes were different and the two of them went to help. The doctor was called. Not long afterwards he fell asleep in the arms of his wife. His illness was a disease of the heart. He was very comfortable when he died, without agitation and without pain, just as if he were a child sleeping. The ship was one hundred and seventy miles out to sea when Mr Seddon died and it returned immediately to Sydney.

Mr Seddon was born on 22nd June, 1845, in England in a place called Lancashire. His father was a master at Eccleston Hill Grammar School; he taught for twenty-five years. His genealogy goes back a long way. His family were predominantly farmers as were also his mother’s family. He did not stay long at school but went to learn iron foundry. In 1860 he became one of the workmen in an iron foundry in Liverpool. At that time news reached England of the discovery of gold in Victoria, Australia. In 1865 when he received his certificate for his work, he came to Victoria. He was not long there before he went to prospect for gold at Bendigo. When he did not find any he went to Melbourne and resumed work as an iron founder. In 1866, hearing news of gold he came to New Zealand, landing at Hokitika. He prospected for gold at Waimea and got it. He returned to Victoria in 1869 and married the daughter of John Spotswood. When he returned he stood for the Arahura Board and after a year became Chairman of the Board. When Arahura was incorporated into the Province of Westland he became the member for Arahura on the Committee of that Council. In that district he began his involvement with the work of Parliament and he began to have a taste for the work of Government. In 1876 he was nominated to be a Liberal member for Kumara but was not elected. In 1878[7] he became Mayor of Kumara. In the election of 1879 he was elected as member for Kumara [Hokitika].

In 1882, because his constituency was so large it was divided in half and he continued as member for the Kumara part. Mr Seddon was the longest-standing member of the House, from 1879 to this year, so it was right that he should be called the ‘Father of the House’. In 1891 Atkinson, the Prime Minister, fell and Balance took over the position. Mr Seddon was appointed Minister of Mines and Public Works. In 1893, Balance died and Mr Seddon became Prime Minister. Since then he has been the leading person in New Zealand. At one time he was Mayor of Kumara, a Member of the Board of Assistance, member of the Schools Board, trustee of the Hospital, a member of the Council and also Chairman of the Schools Committee.

When he became Prime Minister he was Minister of Mines and Public Works, Minister of Defence, Minister for Maori Affairs and Minister of Marine. These are jobs he did for thirteen years. One sees from this the capability of the man when it came to work. Hence what the Prime Minister of Australia said was right: ‘There is no-one strong enough to take the place of Mr Seddon.’

NUMBER 100

In August Te Pipiwharauroa reaches number 100, that is, August is the Jubilee of our pet. Number 1 appeared in March 1898. In Number 100 we will set down the story of Te Pipiwharauroa from its beginning right up to the present day, its mistakes, its problems, what it got right and its strengths. But our word now is a request to the Maori People to support our project, and to send in their sustenance for our bird - all the folk to whom the paper has been sent. Take the opportunity during the next four months to look at all the things that have gone wrong between us. Greetings, people. Kui, Kui, Whiti, Whitiora!

[12] 

CALENDAR : JULY 1906

Day 8 ○ 3h 58m p.m. Day 22 ● 0h 29m a.m.

1 S Third Sunday after Trinity

Morning Evening

1 Samuel 2.1-27 1 Samuel 3

Acts 9.1-23 1 John 4.1-7

2 M

3 T

4 W

5 Th

6 F Fast

7 S

8 S Fourth Sunday after Trinity

1 Samuel 12 1 Samuel 13

Acts 14 Matthew 3

9 M

10 T

11 W

12 Th

13 F Fast

14 S

15 S Fifth Sunday after Trinity

1 Samuel 13.1-24 1 Samuel 18

Acts 18.24-19.21 Matthew 7.1-7

16 M

17 T

18 W

19 Th

20 F Fast

21 S

22 S Sixth Sunday after Trinity

2 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 12.1-24

Acts 22.23 – 23.12 Matthew 11

23 M

24 T Vigil, Fast

25 W James, Apostle Athanasian Creed

2 Kings 1.1-6 Jeremiah 28.8-16

Luke 9.51-57 Matthew 13.1-24

26 Th

27 F Fast

28 S

29 S Seventh Sunday after Trinity

1 Chronicles 21 1 Chronicles 22

Acts 25.1-17 Matthew 18.1-21

30 M

31 T

RULES OF TE PIPIWHARAUROA

1. Te Pipiwharauroa is published monthly.

2. The cost of the paper is 5/- a year, payable by Postal Note or stamps.

3. When the shillings sent in by someone are used up then his paper will be wrapped in red; after two such postings of the paper it will cease to be sent.

4. It is acceptable to contribute articles from anywhere in the land, but it is for the Editor to decide whether to print them or not. Write clearly.

5. Address your letter like this: TO TE PIPIWHARAUROA, TE RAU, GISBORNE.

A NOTICE

To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:

Large, soft cover 2/6

Large, red cover 3/-

Large, hard cover 4/-

Large, superior cover 5/6

Small, soft cover 1/-

Small, red cover 1/6

Small, hard cover 2/6

Small, superior cover 3/6

Hymns -/6

Clergy requiring Hymn Books can contact J Upton, Auckland, and the price will be less.

I will pay the postage to send the books to you

H W Williams,

Te Rau, Gisborne

People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.

Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.

New Testament with explanatory headings 2/6, 3/-, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.

Small New Testament with Psalms 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 3/6, 4/-. Enclose a postage stamp for 3d.

SUPPLEJACK SEEDS FOR OUR BIRD

10/- Piura Ngapuke. There have been many supplejack seeds sent this month. Next month we will print the names.

H W Williams, Te Rau Press, Gisborne.