Te Pipiwharauroa 102

Te Pipiwharauroa 102

No. 102

1906/09

(Maori Version at NZETC.)

[1] Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 102, Gisborne, September 1906.

THE COUNCIL ACT

Since the Council Act has been repealed it is appropriate to look carefully at the content of this act, the good things and the bad things, although perhaps we are not the right people to reflect upon this law because we have not been involved with the activities of the Land Court. One part of this Act has borne fruit, the Block Committee. It is clear that most of the Act was wrong because it has not had positive results.

So most of our comments are on the Block Committee which was given the powers of the Maori Land Court. Was the Block Committee better or worse than the Land Court? This is the question we shall try to answer. To make our answer brief we’ll express it in this way: the Block Committee was worse in that it tore down things and returned to the old practice, to the Land Court. The good things which we think emerged from the taking over by the Maori the power to make judgements about their lands were these:

(1) Less money was swallowed up.

(2) Telling of falsehoods was stopped.

(3) The enquiry was just because Maori understood the speeches and the Maori customs.

As to the first matter, much money is used in going to the Pakeha courts. Besides the cost of the hearing there is the expense of staying in the towns. I observed the workings of the Council for nearly a month last year. It cost the person very little to bring his case – five shillings, but there were other ways in which the money of anyone bringing a case was used up. They had to feed and show hospitality to the Committee and they had to feed those who just came to sit and who had no case. They ate a lot of food. At the conclusion of the judgement the Committee was paid at an arbitrary rate, and the organisers were paid a great deal.

On the second point, as I saw it there were not a few lies told by people but rather a great many. Some people who declared what was untrue were not bashful. Because it cost so little to bring a case, a person was not afraid to bring his case even though the statements in his case were all untrue. In the Pakeha court if a person is caught telling lies he is thrown out and not permitted to speak, but in the Maori Court he is not stopped, the liar is not thrown out even though his falsehood is obvious. A confirmed thief is able to bring his case; there is no law, no fine to stop him or to make him afraid.

On the third point, there are far more appeals in the Maori Court than in the Pakeha Court, and we know the large number of complaints made by people against the decisions of the Block Committee. Since all Maori are related, the bad things a Maori does make great difficulties for his own family. At times some of the Committee members have their own interests in the case. I think that there are not many Maori who do not take family relationships into account. Pakeha judges are lawyers, [2] people who know the law well, while most of the members of the Maori Committees are not educated people. A Maori fault is being afraid of attributing wrongdoing to anyone lest he be wronged by the people he has defeated, or lest he be pursued. Consequently he tries to appease all sides while the hearing reveals clearly the wrongdoing and it is overthrown.

I have given voice to these thoughts in my position as editor, and not because I have been involved with any of the lands on which the Council has made decisions. This is an editor’s privilege since he is the voice of the people and he must point out the things that he sees are wrong and which affect many people.

A HYMN

Tune: ‘Just as I am without one plea.’

1 I stand here alone

But by your blood I shall live.

You also will welcome me.

Jesus, here I am.

2. There is nothing else to hold on to

in these violent winds,

when waves dash against me.

Jesus, here I am.

3 There is nothing to look to,

no heart at peace.

Only in you is goodness found.

Jesus, here I am.

4 There is no evidence of strength,

no heart striving for goodness.

But you invite me to come.

Jesus, here I am.

5 I cannot see.

You must continue to guide me aright

So that I do not stray.

Jesus, here I am.

6 I shall continually know

the greatness of your free love,

here below and above.

Jesus, here I am.

A LETTER FROM APIRANA NGATA

Parliament House,

Wellington.

17th September, 1906.

To the tribes within the Tai Rawhiti Electorate.

Greetings. Parliament has now been sitting for a month, and it is right that I should explain to you some of the things that are being implemented or will soon be introduced to the house which affect Maori, and also tell you of some other things you should know about so that you may have a clear understanding of the way the Pakeha side are thinking, and how they affect us. You will appreciate that I do not have time to write to each of you individually because I do not have free time in which to do that. Therefore I ask those people who receive this letter to consider making its contents known at gatherings and where people sit down to chatter so many will hear of it. I want you to be well-informed continually about what is happening in these days.

1. The List of Problems – Petitions.

1. The hapu and the tribes bring their various problems to Wellington by means of the old way of petitions. I must say that this is not a good year for petitions because Parliament is sitting for very few weeks and so the Committee on Maori matters is faced with a heap of things to decide upon. One of the problems associated with petitions, over and above the great increase in the thinking of the members of the house that this is an ineffective way for the Maori people to proceed, is that they have to devote a great deal of thought and of their lives to such problems. Do not mistakenly think that this is like a Court of law in which the two sides are called to speak about their causes, and that a judgement will be given as in a Court. The Committee has a single task which is to decide whether there are good reasons to support the revelations of the petitioners who are seeking a second or third judgement on their case. Most of the petitions I have seen this year have been weak for the following reasons. (a) In some cases there is still a way within the laws by which the order of the Court can be enforced. (b) Some are brought ineffectively because there is no explanation of the case and the Committee is not quick to see the real basis of the problem. (c) Some [3] are uncovering matters which have been laid two or three times before the Court for its adjudication and which refer to matters of native land tenure, even though some of the land has already been sold, or the division of the land took place some time ago, or others have become firmly ensconced on the land, and it has become difficult for Parliament to find a way to overturn these disposals of the land. About such the Committee asks, ‘Where have you been all these years?’

You must understand that the Committee or Parliament does not support matters that have been mistreated in the findings of the Court; if it is discovered that there are major faults in the work of the judges, then the Government is asked to consider favourably the prayers of the petitioners. That is the extent of the power of the Committee for it is not in its power to lay down laws; that is the job of the Government. So first give careful consideration to the seriousness of the difficulty and do not lightly consent to sending a petition here to Wellington. I have said enough on the subject of the petition. Only one in a hundred will succeed. In the above thoughts I have explained why.

From my side of things, if I am clear as to the rightness of a person’s petition, if my heart feels sympathetic to the justice of the cause, I shall speak out strongly for a resolution of his case and seek to build easy ways for this to be achieved. I observe that very little time is used in considering the weighty matters relating to the country; the thing that takes time is considering the small individual concerns of people. So, this year I have decided to engage in the activities which are fundamental to Maori causes, and I am seeking wholeheartedly to hold to those objectives lest they fall.

2. The Position of the Maori Members.

The position of the Maori Members in this House. The tribes are right to be critical of there being so few Maori members. But is this how it is seen by the Pakeha side? But to say that is to be mistaken if the Maori Member is careful how he uses his presence. You ought to know that, when it comes to Maori matters, the Pakeha members for the South Island are very ignorant and they look to us, the Maori members from this island to explain things and to guide them. For one thing, if the Maori members frequently enter into the small offices of the members and the places for leisure to talk together with their Pakeha friends, and if they show their goodwill in expediting the projects of some and help them in their individual approaches to the ministers of the Government in the House by means of their votes, thereby they make friends against the time when Maori matters are under consideration.. Their conversations within the House will not find their way into the blue papers. Those are eye-pleasing accounts which are helpfully produced to be read by those who voted for the members and which praise their strengths and their good speeches. Rather it is outside that the laws are devised, in the Government offices, and by people who are not members. And the place where amendments are made is in the small streets which are not seen by the people involved in the Parliamentary discussions.

You must also realise that within each Maori constituency are many Pakeha constituencies. Indeed, within our electoral area of the Tai-Rawhiti there are eight Pakeha constituencies. The job of the member for the Tai-Rawhiti is to support the separate projects of his Pakeha friends to get bridges, roads, telegraph wires, and post offices, and to support the bills which apply only to the Pakeha. And so it is that case that, when Maori matters arise within the area, it will be clear to them what path they should take to support my projects. This is the way I shall proceed this year and I shall observe well, aware of the goodwill of my friends towards me. Besides them there is the friendship of the Pakeha members from other areas whether they belong to the Government of the Opposition. Should we not aspire to the words of the man on the cross to our Lord, ‘Remember me when you enter into your kingdom,’ and the Lord replied, ‘Today you shall live with me in Paradise,’? [Luke 23.42f] We and the Pakeha people have seen bound together for these many years and it is not possible for the Maori to deal separately with his problems and his path to well-being. That is sufficient about our situation as Maori members.

3. The Character of Parliament This Year.

3. I shall describe what it is like this year. But perhaps I should devote a little space to the laying down of laws about Maori lands. Most of the work was done before my time in office. However I was able to bring about the abolition of the provisions. Therefore I spoke to you at the beginning of the Parliament saying that this would be a year of struggle over issues around Maori lands.

The explanations will be lengthy but I must give clear accounts. In 1891 [4] there was conflict in this country, the Government of Atkinson fell and the Government of Balance took over. One of the important subjects in that conflict was the land situation in the country – Pakeha land, whether owned by ordinary people or the Crown, and Maori lands. But most of the conflict was over Pakeha lands. John McKenzie was appointed Minister of Lands, a big man of the same stature as Mr Seddon. He laid down this new programme for New Zealand with regard to this thing – land. (a) The ways in which ordinary people could purchase Crown lands should be restricted, but those lands should be increasingly made available to lease. (b) Limits should be set to the amount of land each person could occupy whether by purchase or by lease. This was linked to the grassing of the land. First-class grassed land was limited to 640 acres, second-class to 2000 acres and third-class to 5000. The plan depended on the goodness of the land. (c) When a person acquired the land he was constrained by the law to reside permanently on his land. This was because the Government was afraid of people acquiring land simply to hold on to while waiting to sell it when the value had gone up.

In 1892 Parliament passed the law called The Land Act 1892 to implement McKenzie’s plans. And during that year he set about blocking the sale of Maori lands lest they be freely sold to ordinary people. It was the same as blocking the sale of lands to anyone except the Crown. Provision was made to impose restrictions. The Governor was given power to gazette and to place an embargo on Maori lands which the Crown wished to purchase to prevent other people from buying those lands.

In 1893 Mr Ballance died and Mr Seddon became Premier. At this time Timi had not yet acquired the position of Minister of Maori Affairs. In 1894 the Land for Settlements Act was passed. This Government in its programme took a step backwards, turning to do battle with the leading Pakeha landowners in the country. There they laid down plans for Pakeha lands which would enable the Government to impose the compulsory purchase of Pakeha lands which they perceived were suitable for settlement, lands which could be divided up into small farms which could be allocated to people who would work the land. The Government also wished to settle many people on the country’s land, to grow towns in the various areas, and to improve the railways and post offices, that people might be many more people and products in the country. In that year also ‘The Native Land Court Act’ was passed. Section 117 totally forbade the purchase of Maori land by ordinary people: only if the Governor in Council allowed the breaking of the provision could this be done. Now, the country has heard about the distress caused by this provision because of the Government’s bad record in purchasing land and the small payments offered and the lack of an adequate way for people owning land and those with a small interest in land to appeal. The aim of the Government at this time, as I see it, is to bring under its authority most of the land in the country and to take to itself and by means of its rules the control of the ways of leasing or sale. This is a time when the Maori People are struggling, when they are asking for an end to the sale of Maori lands, when the Association is making demands, when there are large groups coming to Wellington, and when there is even a petition to the Queen to stop the sale of Maori lands. When Mr McKenzie died, Mr Seddon took over the posts of Minister of Lands and even Minister of Maori Affairs. In 1899 the Government agreed to bring an end to the sale of Maori lands. In 1900 the Councils were set up under the ‘Maori Lands Administration Act 1900’ [sic]. In it was the new provision by which Maori lands could be placed under some administrative body and by them made available for leasing. The object was also that Maori lands, whether occupied by Maori or Pakeha, should come under the same settlement provisions as Crown land. The Maori welcomed one of the provisions – the ending of sales, but objected to the provision to hand over lands to the Council who would give it over for leasing. The Maori were right in objecting to the extreme powers of the Council. But I must clarify one bad thing that resulted from these laws which united people in the struggle up to the present. In 1900 the sale of land was stopped, as was the leasing of Maori lands freely to the Pakeha. During those years the Government lands, the Crown lands, available for settlement were reducing in extent. Pakeha wanting land were building up a head of steam and had for a long time been encouraging the Government to put them in possession of land. Also, Pakeha had increasingly come together to live in Maori districts and small towns had grown up and news had got abroad of how good the New Zealand land laws were. This attracted Pakeha from afar. Maori land was like a beautiful girl [5] set apart by the parents and the lovers vied to get possession of her for themselves. Perhaps we can compare it, people, with water which has been dammed up for a long time. What are the people living on the plains to think when the flood comes, the dam is broken, and the waters suddenly arrive? That is what we have been like over these past two years. You must be aware that the Government is the father of the two peoples and it is at the convergence of this thing, the land, and of the plans for the survival or the death of the land. Who can stop the Government? It is the majority of members in Parliament. Who votes for those members? It is the majority of people in each electorate. And if that majority chooses to say that it perceives that there is land in the country on which people could live and that all land whether Pakeha or Maori should be managed and should be productive, and if they observe that there is insufficient land on the Pakeha side to fulfil these demands, there will be increasing conflict over the remaining Maori land. The enemies of the Maori lands are the large tracts of land held by leading Pakeha. The Government does not have enough money to purchase those kinds of land, even though they want to take apart those lands in order to distribute them to small Pakeha farmers.

There are two things I must say by way of explanation so that you will understand the situation this year. Although there is an embargo on Crown land which prevents a single person obtaining more than 640 acres of first-class grassed land, or 2000 of second-class grassed land, or 5000 of third-class grassed land, it was not agreed that these limits apply to Maori land. That means that a person who really want to get Maori land, say 20,000 acres, is able without hindrance to lease 640 acres of first-class grassed land, and other categories of grassed land. Consequently we think that this year the provisions applying to Crown lands should be applied to Maori lands. Secondly, the major dispute over the past years between the Pakeha groups on the Government and Opposition sides is as follows. The Government wants to stop completely the sale of Crown lands and only to allow them to be leased. The Opposition says that it should be made possible to purchase land so that each separate farmer may have the power and the title over his land, and that the Government should not remain as owner, giving irksome instructions to farmers so that the person leasing the farm cannot do what he wants. This quarrel has been going on for many years, and this will be the major topic in the voting of the Pakeha people in the coming year. We know that the Opposition members were soundly beaten and some of its strongest warriors were voted out of Parliament. At this time, Mr Seddon has died and Mr Ward has been installed as Prime Minister and, under him, Mr McNab has been made Minister of Lands.

I end here my explanations. You will see that this year there will converge the arrangements for all the country’s land – Crown lands and those of Pakeha who hold large amounts of Maori land. The Pakeha are engaged in a struggle into which we are being drawn. The reasons are that there are Maori lands which lie idle while Crown land fit for settlement is being used up, and Pakeha people believe strongly that the wealth of these islands is the land.

In the coming week McNab’s bill dealing with Pakeha lands will be presented. I shall give a brief account of that bill. (1) The remaining Crown land amounting to 2,500,000 acres (two and a half million) will be embargoed so that it cannot be sold but only leased out, and the profits will be administered for the benefit of schools, hospitals, old-age pensions, and in ways to help the poor. (2) There will be an end to the practice of leasing with a right to buy, of 999 year leases, and of the sale of Crown lands: but there will be leases for 66 years with the option of renewing the lease assessed on the improved value. (3) As for the lands of people holding large areas of land, what happens is based on the valuation. It is posited that if the unimproved valuation of the land reaches £50,000 the owner will not be able to hold on to that land. The law directs that the portion of that land over and above that valuation shall be put on the market within ten years; if this is not done then the Minister of Lands may take it for him to purchase or put on the market.

(Because the paper is full, we are not able to print the whole of Apirana Ngata’s letter. The rest will be printed later.)

[6] HIKAPUHI, FEMALE TOHUNGA

Who is she, where does she come from, and what is she like – this Hikapuhi? If a person sets herself up as a tohunga, if she says that she is a healer of people and if she says that she has the power of God, she should not be believed on the basis of her own words, nor should she be believed because of what everyone else says about her, but one should ask questions about what she was like before and right up to the time when she proclaimed herself a tohunga. It is important that she should perform miracles, great miracles such as raising to life a dead person or raising up from sickness a person who was very ill, not a person who could walk about but a person who was not able to get up such as those struck down by typhoid fever. Such was Christ’s practice. He plainly did miracles to support what he said. This is the right standard by which to test those people who say that they have great powers. This is the right standard by which to test Iraia, Tokoaka, Wereta, Karepa, Pari Rekena, Rua, and our lady tohunga, Hikapuhi.

Who is Hikapuhi? She is a Maori woman with a Pakeha husband. In the hospitals she would certainly not be called a ‘nurse’. Calling herself a nurse is a lie and is only a cloak to cover her activities as a tohunga and her practising of native things. Where does Hikapuhi come from? She is from Rotorua, though she lived for some time at Otaki.

What does she look like? Outwardly she appears very nice, but we do not know if she is a good woman or a bad woman, a woman of faith or a woman who despises the works of the faith. Her tribe and her family know what she is like; but we have not yet seen an account of her by someone from Rotorua saying that Hikapuhi is a good woman and that it is right that people should flock to her. Has Hikapuhi done genuine miracles? Many miracles are spoken of but we have not yet seen a genuine miracle. It is said that at Te Wairoa she healed a blind person, but the Te Wairoa newspaper said that this is false. There are blind people here in Gisborne but so hasty was Hikapuhi’s departure that they were not healed. Hikapuhi came here and it was said that she had healed Peka Kerekere, but not long afterwards Peka died suddenly.

However we were only able to see what Hikapuhi was like through what she did and said here in Gisborne and our conclusion was that she is a foolish woman. We would not have said these words had Hikapuhi simply stayed here but rather she went to the various districts proclaiming her power and deceiving people as she went, and on the basis of her words and actions we described her as a foolish woman. Maori are knowledgeable when it comes to perceiving a foolish person, and therefore we ask, What do you think of Hikapuhi, you people who know her?

We do not say what we do about the activities of Hikapuhi without cause. Those who support Hikapuhi began gratuitously to gossip and to cast aspersions about us. If we have been critical of other tohunga, should Hikapuhi be exempted? If a person is affected by our words, we are sad that he has taken his attitude towards us but that was why he was attacked. Had he taken a different stance he would not be attacked. Should we make an exception for Hikapuhi whose activities are worse than those of Wereta whose practices we condemned? Time showed that we were right to criticize Wereta, Karepa, Pari Rakena and Rua, and time will show that what we have said about Hikapuhi is right. Why should we exempt Hikapuhi who has proclaimed herself to be a tohunga.? We are not like some members of the Takitimu Council who stood to expel Rua and his tribe when no wrongdoing had been brought to the Council while Hikapuhi who is feeding women with alcohol and carrying off in her arms money and possessions is being supported and celebrated. However the great sin of Rua was calling himself the Christ, but this fault is not a concern of the Council, rather it is a Church matter. If a person condemns an individual tohunga he ought to condemn all tohunga, and so we condemn Hikapuhi.

Hikapuhi travelled to Tauranga, Hastings, the Wairarapa and other places and on 8th of this month arrived here in Gisborne with her guides, following an invitation from the people here. On the Saturday evening she arrived at Te Pahou where a great many people had gathered to welcome the prophet. During the evening she was addressed; the main subject was the welcome to the healer. [7] Wetini Rikirangi gave a mocking speech. It was on the Sunday night that miracles were performed. The tohunga pointed out the causes of the person’s sickness. The main cause of the illness was witchcraft, but whatever the illness she cured it. On the instructions of the tohunga the people who were in pain [?ki runga] stood up and were told,

                                                     Jump about, dance.

The old men and women stood up, jumped about, danced, did the cakewalk and haka while the accordion played. It was said that the roar and the noise could be heard a long way off – the dust was being stirred up on a Sunday! Perhaps brandy was given out and the goings-on were wicked. Most of the people were up and playing around. One person was lying down and at the point of death. Soon afterwards the person died, not having been healed by the prophet. Some people commented that because what was going on was so filthy they were not able to sit down in the building. One man also said that five tohunga followed him and this convinced him that this was the work of the devil. When they ended their stay at Te Pahou the tohunga and all the people who believed in her went to Te Muriwai where

                                                 there was the wedding.

At night time while the people were waiting, the company of women came out dressed all in white like a bride. They screened things off so that the men were hidden. Hikapuhi was in front in her wedding clothes. She went into the building. They sat on the seats, the men sat behind the women. Some people said that these women were married to the many spirits spoken of by Hikapuhi – a multitude in the clouds, a multitude in the sea, a multitude on the earth below. The people sat down and the minister announced the hymn, number 113. Only the minister knew the hymn and he sang it alone. The tohunga prayed that the power of healing would be given to the ‘apostles’, that they would have great power, greater than hers, and that their hearts might be white like their clothes. It is said that Hikapuhi is excellent at praying, ‘better than the clergy’. Afterwards the minister who sang the hymn prayed. That minister spoke saying that if a work was just that of man then it was evanescent, if it was of God it would abide. The tohunga was not happy with these words, expressing contempt with her eyes. She stood and said that the clergy were her enemies. Some people wondered at the purport of these words and asked, if the ministers were her enemies who was her ally who condemned the ministers? After the wedding there was the feast with two wedding cakes. The relish was Hikapuhi’s ‘tea’ – ‘Three Stars’ brandy. Because one of the women who was married was not used to alcohol, and because that drink was so strong, she got drunk. Three of the women were very sick from the alcohol, they were drunk and deranged. Hamahona Pohatu was the man who condemned this activity but he was not permitted to speak by the people who praised the tohunga. Hamahona was angry. He said that it was true that he was not a chief but he was on the marae committee. We have heard that Ruru was one who criticized the failure to heal Karaitiana. Why did he die when Hikapuhi had said that she would heal all illnesses? At this point Hikapuhi said some disgusting things, things that it is not proper for a woman or a man to say.

Such is our account of this tohunga for people to look at, and for people of coming generations to read. These are the stories of the Maori People of these days and they show the spirit of the Maori in these days. Those people who like such doings will not like these stories, but why condemn them if they are true? They should be happy because we are making known the things of which they boast. If they are ashamed why did they do things that made them ashamed? The right response to embarrassment is to forsake the thing which makes them ashamed. If it is contended that there is nothing to be ashamed of then there is no reason to object to these stories, which we hear are true. If it is the case that over many years a person’s words have been found to be true then what that person says should be heeded. Likewise, Te Pipiwharauroa has for many years condemned the many tohunga of the Maori and it has been seen that all that Te Pipiwharauroa said was true, so, if we are a thoughtful people it is right that we listen to his words. So, some of Hikapuhi’s apostles and the leading apostles of Wereta were condemned by Te Pipiwharauroa, and when Wereta’s apostles abandoned him it demonstrated that Wereta was wrong and Te Pipiwharauroa was right. People, it is clear that we do not seek the praise of men. If that was what we wanted then we know the way to get glory from men – be accommodating, approve of everything whether wrong or right, and we should say things like, [8] Well done, Wereta! Well done, Karepa! Well done, Pari Rekena! Well done, Rua! Well done, Hikapuhi! Best wishes. Have great lives, take it easy, shine out! But we are despised, defamed, accused, pelted with stones, and when the time comes for us to close our eyes our last words will be, ‘Maori People, do not belittle yourselves by involvement with the infantile and deceitful activities of the tohunga.’

ITEMS OF NEWS FROM WELLINGTON

When Mr Poole, member for Auckland, was speaking in response to the Governor’s speech, Mr McLachlan, member for Ashburton, muttered, whereupon Mr Poole called out, ‘The honourable member is talking in his sleep.’ Then Mr Poole said, ‘I am very sad that this House is becoming a sleeping place for people who are intoxicated. I am sad for the person who is drunk, but I am sadder about the thing which made him drunk.’

There are 12,582 elderly people in receipt of pensions, of these thousands 667 are Maori. The total cost for the year is £501,416.

The new judges of the Maori Land Court are Walter Rawson, a Wellington lawyer, C R McCormick, an Auckland lawyer; J W Browne is Registrar of Auckland, R C Sim, Registrar of Wellington. The stipends for Rawson and McCormick are £500 a year and for Browne and Sim, £400. Jackson Palmer is the President, and Seth Smith President of the Validation Court. The judges for each district remain the same.

Mr Hornsby, member for Greytown, said that in his eyes the state of the Maori was deteriorating. Some were set apart and like lords while others had become like peasants.

Mr Poole from Auckland objected to Timi Kara’s policy of ‘by and by’. The hard-working Pakeha could not go along with this policy. It was not right to accommodate the Maori when people came from afar to take up these lands and it was of the utmost importance to settle Maori lands.

PARLIAMENT

Maori Lands

In the Prime Minister’s speech setting out the thinking and the proposed actions of the Government, he voiced the thinking of the Government about Maori lands. Mr Ward said:

‘Many large areas of Maori land are lying idle and are not cultivated. This is not the fault of Maori alone, many things hinder the Maori, but many Pakeha are laying the blame on the back of the Maori. The Maori may not be cultivating the land because he is not sure that that land belongs to him. Who is going to cultivate the land if it is pure luck by which he has come by that land? Some lands have had judgements rendered when they have not yet been split up and the man is not able to say that this part is his or that this belongs to the family. So the obvious way by which good will be done for Maori is to divide up the land, but it has been found that some portions of land are very small and that many people have interests in that land and that there would be not benefit from dividing up the land. And so we should provide a way forward at the appropriate time, either by dividing up the land between each family group or by setting up the land as a corporation which is handed over to some wise people to manage. The Government’s idea is that Maori should be settled on their own land or that the land be worked as a means of bring them benefit. New judges are being appointed to the Land Court and surveyors are being commissioned to divide up the lands. It is being expedited. The Government’s wish is:

(1) That lands be reserved to provide a living for Maori.

(2) That Maori be settled on their own lands to work them, and that they be given instruction in cultivating their lands.

(3) That the remaining lands be purchased by the Government at its agreed price, and they will be handed over by the Boards for lease for a period of 66 years; or Maori may lease the lands under the authority of the Boards.

(4) That the Land Court should give decisions soon on contested lands.

[9]

(5) Some lands, the owners of which are not yet known, should be taken over by the Boards to manage. When the owners are identified the payments will be made to them.

A District Judge will be provided for each Board area.

In his speech, Mr McNab, Minister of Lands repeated what the Prime Minister had said, that Maori should be settled on their own lands.

Member for the Tai-Rawhiti

Apirana Ngata requested the Government:

(1) That the Government arrange for the recording of Maori waiata on phonograph machines to preserve them for the future. Agreed.

(2) That the Government arrange for people to visit Maori districts to give Maori instruction in wool-classing. The Prime Minister said that it might not be possible to visit all sheep stations.

(3) That a law be made preventing the use of bad sheep dips. The Prime Minister said that this is not a major problem.

(4) That wool-classing be taught in technical schools. The Prime Minister said that the Government had this in mind.

(5) That an office to provide Money Orders be established at Nuhaka for the benefit of Maori and Pakeha. This was agreed.

(6) That the Government take over the management of the springs at Waipiro. This is the wish of the Government but the people who are leasing Te Puia have great difficulties.

(7) That the laws concerning noxious weeds and other laws be translated into Maori so that they can be understood by Maori. Agreed.

(8) That the report of the meeting between the Department of Education and the School Board of Hawkes Bay be published. It concerns the plan of the Board to take over the management of Maori Schools. The report confirms what Apirana contended for.

Land Possession Bill

Timi Kara brought forward the Bill to put the Maori of the South Island in possession of the lands of Ngai Tahu, Ngati Kuia and Rangitane. They have 142,000 acres, 50 for each person. Pereiha Tuki criticised the nature of the land which is mountainous and far away. The most important words about this bill were those of Apirana Ngata. Apirana praised Taiaroa and Tame Parata for their diligence; this bill is the fruit of their hard work. Their lands are a problem for these tribes. They were bought by the Government in former times. Therefore Apirana said that the Government was graciously willing to give land even though it is not very good land, [?te kore rawa] the old guns given to the Maori in payment for their land. He wondered at the Government’s attitude now. In the South Island they were giving land to Maori who were rendered landless by the Government. In the North Island [Aotearoa] the Pakeha’s great plan is to take the remaining Maori land. Therefore he urged caution lest the Government be too eager to take the lands of North Island Maori lest, like the Maori of the South Island, they find themselves landless, and lest the Government have to set about finding land for Maori to live on in years to come. For example, although there are some Maori in Waikato without land the Government has purchased the Te Akau block in Waikato, and therefore, he said, let us settle the Maori of Waikato on that land.

Poukawa Native Reserve.

This land at Hastings covers 3,668 acres and there is a 1,300 acre lake. This land was given to the Public Trustee for him to construct a stream to drain it. But because of the opposition of the Pakeha the stream was not dug. Therefore this bill was brought forward by Timi Kara to return this land to the Maori.

In Apirana Ngata’s speech he said that this was a very important matter, the Government’s plan to take this land from the hands of the Public Trustee. He saw the people who own this block and they wish to incorporate it. Some of these people who are wasteful of land want to sell their shares at Waimarama and Pukekura to the Government, and he believes that they would then sell Poukawa to the Government. It would be a good thing to protect this people lest they defeat their own interests.

[10]

The Maori School Reserves.

Apirana Ngata criticised some people for going clandestinely to influence the Pakeha members. As a result of the activities of some people there are calls to take Te Aute away from Mr Williams. Apirana said that this is a very wrong proposal, because the Government set up a Commission to enquire into the situation of Te Aute, and that Commission concluded that the land was being managed well in every way and that Mr Williams was directing the school appropriately. But some people were saying that the report of that Commission, of which he was a member, should be rejected.

Hone Heke asked that the report of the Commission on Te Aute and Whanganui be made available soon.

Apirana Ngata asked that a Commission also be set up to investigate the state of the school reserves of land of the Wesleyan and Catholic Churches and to enquire whether they are the same as Te Aute and Whanganui, the Church of England Schools.

Providing Money to Maori.

Several Ngati Porou leaders came to Wellington bringing some issues which relate to their area and to the country as a whole. Paratene Ngata was their spokesman. Paratene lamented at the death of the Prime Minister and greeted Mr Ward who has taken his lofty place. Paratene said that the Maori People agreed with the Government proposal to take the remaining lands, those lands which they are not working. Mr Ward commended Paratene’s words of approval of the taking over of the lands; it is clear where the Government’s heart is. But the main purpose of the Ngati Porou visit, which was supported by Te Heuheu Tukino and other chiefs, was to ask the Government to open up a way for Maori to obtain money with which to develop their lands. Hone Heke, Apirana Ngata and Tame Parata also wrote to the Prime Minister and Apirana spoke in the House asking that money be made available as it is in the case of Pakeha. Mr Ward agreed and perhaps provision will be made in the new law Timi Kara will soon be laying before the House.

Land Bill

Following his speech, the Land Bill of Mr McNab, Minister of Lands, is progressing. The main provision of his bill is the purchase of large areas of land from leading Pakeha. It is not good that a person should hold lands with an unimproved value of more that £50,000 and if a person holds more than that it will be taken by the Government. In the case of Grade I land the cut-off area is 1000 acres, in the case of Grade II land it is 2000 acres, and in the case of Grade III land it is 5000 acres. It is said that 61 large areas of land in New Zealand will be taken by the Government. The remaining Crown lands are being reserved for hospitals and schools.

Treaty of Waitangi.

Mr Jennings, Member for Egmont, asked the Minister of Maori Affairs if he would agree to setting up a Committee of the House, perhaps arranged by the Committee on Maori Affairs, to look into the position of the Treaty of Waitangi, so that we can know the situation of the two peoples and bring an end to the troubles affecting the Maori People.

Timi Kara replied that a Committee to investigate the status of the Treaty of Waitangi would not be set up nor would it serve any good purpose to hand the matter over to the Committee on Maori Affairs. The Government is not aware of the problems affecting the Maori People apart from the working, by themselves or by Pakeha, of their lands which are lying idle.

The members of the Maori Affairs Committee are Frazer of Napier, Greenslade of Waikato, Hone Heke, Herries of Bay of Plenty, Hogan of Whanganui, Houston of Bay of Islands, Jennings of Egmont, Kaihau, Stevens of Manawatu, Mander of Marsden, Ngata, Parata, Stallworthy of Kaipara, and Timi Kara of Waiapu. Those are most of the members of this Committee to help the Maori People.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

The Maori People have made strong progress over the past five years.

The Government has published the story of The Journey of the Manene. Price 1/-. Adam’s shop is the store which is selling that book here in Gisborne.

On 28th Te Muera Tokoaitua was ordained priest. On 31st Henare Wepiha Wainohu and Poihipi Mokena Kohere were ordained deacons.

[11]

  GAMBLING

The Governor of the Auckland Prison said that the cause of the increase in crime in the Auckland area and of the increased number of people in prison is gambling. In past years the cause of crime was alcohol but in these days it is gambling. This is an evil afflicting the young people of New Zealand. Thousands of young men have become addicted to gambling. The newspapers tell of the many people who go to the races and there throw away their money on the ‘totalisator’ as if it were something for someone to be proud of. Few people who attend the horse races go just to watch the horses galloping and not to gamble, to get money not by shedding perspiration in getting it but getting it easily by theft. Most people go in order to gamble. If young men do not have money on race days they turn to stealing money from their employers and if the thief is caught he is not punished. Many young people despise good and proper work. What they want is to spend little time working and to waste the rest. They set about dressing up even if they have no money. If they have no money they steal in order to gamble. Some years ago I spoke about this dreadful evil which was increasing, therefore I ask others to look into this evil thing. I write not from hearsay but on the basis of what I have seen. We, the Governors of prisons, know and see the people being brought to prison. Let us seek a remedy for this pernicious evil.

P M K

A NOTICE

We have copies of A Catechism for Children to Learn and Sunday Prayers. If a minister tells us what he requires they will be sent free of charge.

A STEAMSHIP FESTIVAL

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Greetings. Here are a few words for you to carry to the tribes and languages in every part of our country. It is not a matter which will mean much to some sorts of people but it means a great deal to us people who saw this feast. The feast was the occasion of the naming by the Northern Steamship Company of one of their steamships after this hapu, Te Aupouri. Te Aupouri is one of the large hapu of the North. This Company has named some of their steamships Ngapuhi, Rarawa, Apanui, Ngatiawa, and this one is Aupouri.

In July, Paratene Kapa asked the Chairman of that Company if the Aupouri people could hold a feast on board that steamship and he agreed. On 16th August the Aupouri reached Houhora and sailed on to Muriwhenua. Arriving in the channel it did not tie up at the wharf but came up to the beach. On the following day the feast was held with 61 people present. After the feast the Chairman spoke. He said, ‘I am very grateful for this feast and I am thankful that I could come to this feast. It is my policy to get to know the tribes that are linked to my Company – Ngapuhi, Te Rarawa and now Te Aupouri. Although I am very busy I have made time to respond to your invitation and have come.’

At the end of his speech I stood and said, ‘Te Aupouri tribe are grateful that you have fulfilled their wish to hold this feast in honour of their name.’

Only because of the problems of the tribe did he ask the Chairman to give him a ticket from here to Auckland. The photograph of the Aupouri tribe, of Meri Puhipi, is on board the Aupouri. And may Te Aupouri always think of this steamer. Then the chairman stood to reply. He said, ‘As for the request that its name should continue to be used, yes, for however long. I am building a steamship called Ngatiawa. When that is finished I will build one which will be named Ngatiteawa Houtaewa, the ancient name of Te Aupouri.’

As for the ticket, I will think about it. ‘

 ‘Papa te whaitiri i runga te rangi

 ko tana tini ko tona mana

 ko te wai o Haruru te taki aki

ki tu tauarai ee.’

Thunder rumbles in the heavens above,

multitudinous and powerful,

while the waves of Haruru crash one by one

against the barrier.’   (It goes on.)

 

Yours sincerely,

E M Kapa.

[12]

  CALENDAR : OCTOBER 1906

Day 3 ○ 0h 18m a.m. Day 18 ● 10h 13m a.m.

1 M

2 T

3 W

4 Th

5 F Fast

6 S

7 S Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

Morning Evening

Jeremiah 5 Jeremiah 22

Philippinas 1 Luke 8.1-26

8 M

9 T

10 W

11 Th

12 F Fast

13 S

14 S Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

Jeremiah 36 Ezekiel 2

Colossians 3.1-18 Luke 11.1-29

15 M

16 T

17 W

18 Th Luke, Evangelist

Isaiah 55 Ecclesiasticus 38.1-15

1 Thessalonians 3 Luke 13.1-18

19 F Fast

20 S

21 S Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Ezekiel 14 Ezekiel 18

2 Thessalonians 1 Luke 15.1-11

22 M

23 T

24 W

25 Th

26 F Fast

27 S Vigil, Fast

28 S Twentieth Sunday after Trinity

Simon and Jude, Apostles

Athanasian Creed

Ezekiel 34 Ezekiel 37

1 Timothy 5 Luke 19.1-28

Isaiah 28.9-17 Jeremiah 3.12-19

29 M

30 T

31 W Vigil, Fast

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

£2 10/- Arona te Hana; £1 H, Mokai Kereru, Mohi te Atatukoia; 10/- Mitikakau Otene, Miss Kelly, Ani Kanara, C B Bartlett, Te Paea Kingi, Maurice Fitzgerald; 5/- Mrs Woodbine Johnson, Rangi, H Aramoana, Paora Hopere, Rutene Arahi, Karaitiana Poi, Hira Paea; Paratene Kapa; 1/- Mutu Paul.

H W Williams, Te Rau Press, Gisborne.