TE
REO O AOTEAROA
WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED TE TOA TAKITINI
Registered at the GPO as a Newspaper.
Number 93
HASTINGS
1st May, 1929
THE
MOTHERS’ ASSOCIATION
‘How
are we to raise our children and what should we do for them?’ Because of the [?takararo
- ? falling back] of our boys and girls in these days a Commission has been
set up to enquire into this. It is perceived that the parents bear some
responsibility for this state of affairs. They are indifferent when it comes to
ensuring that their children are properly taught. Presently the children grow
up lacking interest in everything.
To
address the above question, Lady Alice Fergusson has set up a group for all the
mothersw of the country, Pakeha and Maori. The following are the Group’s
objectives:
1.
To
help parents see that they have great power to shape their children’s
characters.
2.
To set
up branches in every place where mothers can find good ways to improve the
running of their homes and to instruct the families in purity of thought and
ensure that they take this advice.
The
Rules
As
a mother myself, my first task is to bring up my family in the fear of God, and
that they grow up as good citizens of the Empire. Therefore, I am concerned
about the following things:
1.
To
teach them to listen, to care for themselves, to honour their parents, and to
set them a good example myself.
2.
To
ensure that they are careful in choosing their friends, the sports they play,
and the books they read. I also try to implant in them the habit of work.
Published by the Rev P Hakiwai and P H Tomoana and printed at
Cliff Press, Queen Street, Hastings, HB.
[976]
Te
Reo o Aotearoa
With
which is incorporated Te Toa Takitini
Registered
at the GPO as a Newspaper
The
price of the paper is 10/- a year.
Address
letters to ‘Te Reo o Aotearoa,’ Box 300, Hastings
Te
Reo o Aotearoa
1st
May, 1929
3.
To
teach them to pray and the elements of the faith.
4.
And I
seek to teach my children the sacredness of marriage and the permanence of this
bond.
A
Prayer for a Mother.
O
God, our heavenly Father, I ask you blessing upon the Association of Mothers,
that they may rightly bring up their children in a way that will grow your
Kingdom. Help us to be women who are upright, thoughtful and loving. Teach us
to bring up our children according to your will. Strengthen them as they face
many examinations (we pray especially for …………………….). May our homes be good places
to be. May your Holy Spirit guide us so that we work rightly for you now and
for ever, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A
Prayer for Parents and Children.
Heavenly
Father, you are the source of all parenthood in heaven and on earth. Send your
blessing on all parents living in this country. Give them the Spirit of
consideration and love. May our homes be shadows of your heavenly home and so a
heaven for our children, and let us show them your special love. Through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Miss
Williams sent these verses to Te Reo:
‘Why
do you spend y9ur money for that which is not bread, and your lab9ur for that
which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and
delight yourselves in rich food.’ [Isaiah 55.2]
‘Seek
the Lord while he may be found , call upon him while he is near; let the wicked
forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them return to the
Lord,
[977]
that
he may have mercy on them, and to our God for he will abundantly pardon.’
[Isaiah 55.6-7]
‘No
one who conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and
forsakes them will obtain mercy.’ [Proverbs 28.13]
THE
REPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT KAIKOHE ON 23RD
MARCH, 1929.
The
Members who attended: Right
Reverend F A Bennett (ex-officio)
Rev
Canon W H Keretene
Rev
K W Poata
Rev
H Taurau
Rev
W N Panapa
Eru
M Po Esq
Hemi
Te Paa Esq
At
10 o’clock in the morning the Bishop of Aotearoa, the members of the Committee,
all the Ministeers and the people met in the Meeting House. The Bishop led the
worship and opened the meeting.
Canon
Keretene moved and Rev Panapa seconded: ‘That the Bishop of Aotearoa preside
(ex officio) at meetings of the Standing Committee of the Maori Section of the
Diocese of Auckland.’ Agreed.
The
Bishop took his place as Chairman of the meeting.
The
Minutes were read and agreed.
The
accounts were presented. Passed.
The
Bishop’s Address.
The
Bishop expressed his gratitude for the congratulations he received from the
people and to those from the area who came to Napier on the day he was
consecrated. And he also spoke of the wonderful welcome he and his wife
received when they came to the Tai Tokerau.
1.
Position
of Archdeacon. The time has come to clarify the roles of
those serving under the Bishop. It would be a good thing if this hui passed a
motion that Maori Archdeacons be appointed as spokesmen for the Bishop in each
area.
2.
The
School for Ministers. You should make every effort to identify
people to be trained to become Ministers. There is much concern among the young
Maori training at St John’s College in Auckland. There is nothing wrong with
the teaching, but what is disturbing is that those coming out are well-informed
about Pakeha things but do not know how to take Maori services. One thinks back
to Te Rau Kahikatea; but the better place would be Te Aute College. If the
[978]
work of ministry was set before the
children attending Te Aute, many services could be taken in villages by them on
Sundays.
3.
The
Churches. This
is an appropriate time to restore the furnishings of your forebears – the
carving, the fabrics, the taniko. These are precious things in our churches, so
let us care for these expressions of our Maoritanga and as decorative things
which lift the Maori spirit in our churches.
4.
The
Maori Hymns. You
rightly praise the quality and sweetness of your hymns, but be aware that all
the hymns in our Prayer Book are by Pakeha; not one is by a Maori. It is right
that we give thought to writing hymns which spring from the Maori heart and
what would be wrong with giving Maori tunes to our hymns?
5.
Conducting
Missions. I
am thinking of conducting missions in every Parish over the coming year. The
people of each area should meet in a central place. I would like to have three
assistants; one to run Bible Classes, one for the women, and one to conduct
choirs.
6.
Dealing
with Money. Be diligent in dealing with all your
accounts lest e become the subject of blame in these days.
7.
Help
for clergy children. This
will be a good thing to result from the setting up of the Maori Bishopric, that
help will be available for clergy children throughout the country.
8.
Sunday
Schools. Make
it a priority at all times to run these. It is when they are children that
people’s minds can be shaped to do what is right; it is more difficult when
they are grown up.
It is for you people to help your Bishop.
You have this treasure, the Faith, which your ancestors guarded well and passed
on to you, and we have seen its fruits in these days. Do not just see the
honour of this gift but let each of us be involved in the work. This
treasure has been bountifully given to you and to the Maori people by God to be
wondered at by the generations to come. Let all of you Maori gather under your
Bishopric. Let all of us Maori come together at this time and let us carve out
a way of faith for ourselves, the Maori, which the world will wonder at and
which will see Maori giving glory to God.
The Business.
The Centenary of Te Waimate. The
Archbishop’s letter on this matter was read to the meeting, and Hoori Tane
explain the things arranged by the Standing
[979]
Committee to celebrate the centenary of Te
Waimate next year. The Bishop expressed his strong support for the Archbishop’s
letter. This is a matter of concern to all Maori and we must do our best in
contributing to the running of
that day. Following much discussion between
the people and the Committee, Canon Keretene moved and Hemi Te Paa seconded the
following motion, which was passed: ‘This hui thanks the Archbishop for his
letter in which he asks the Maori section to participate in the arrangements
for the celebration of the centenary of Te Waimate and the Standing Committee
urges the the Maori section to help with this matter, and leaves it to the
Standing Committee to promote this project amongst the Maori People.’
The Board for Maori Affairs. As the Bishop is a
member of this Board, the people asked for an explanation as to the ways in
which people can access help from that Board. The Bishop spoke of all aspects
of the Board, the membership, and the source of the fund they were holding. The
Bishop pointed out the broad range of things pertinent to all people and which
would be considered favourably by the Board.
Concerns about Maori Schools. The Committee
reflected on this for a long time. The issue which affects some of the Maori
schools of the Tai Tokerau is that they do not have examinations at the end of
the school year but these are held when they return in the new year. This
matter was postponed until the visit of Sir Apirana Ngata to Otiria when it
will be put to him.
The Motions Passed.
1.
This
hui thanks the Bishop of Aotearoa for explaining and discussing ways of
advancing the Maori Church in our time.
2.
That
this hui strongly supports the Bishop’s idea of conducting Missions in the
Diocese of Auckland next year.
3.
The
funds for this year will be held here until all the money is in from every
area, and then they will be sent to the Office in Auckland.
4.
This
Standing Committee urges all parishes to begin to gather together all the money
for the Fund to help this Bishopric with the stipend of the Bishop of Aotearoa.
5.
Since
the Maori People have obtained their own Bishop and he has a huge area to
cover, this hui strongly believes that a Maori Archdeacon should be appointed
to help him in eah diocese.
[980]
THE
BISHOP OF AOTEAROA VISITS TARANAKI
On
Saturday. 13th April Bishop Bennett arrived in New Plymouth. As
arranged he went to the home of one of his very old Taranaki friends, W H
Skinner Esq. He was still a child when he met this elder and looked forward to
being his guest when he came to New
Plymouth.
At
the beginning of the week his first service was at 9.30 a.m. at St Mary’s for
the pupils of New Plymouth Boys’ High School. At 11 o’clock we went to the
Pakeha service at Fitzroy. Many Pakeha came to hear the Maori Bishop, several
being friends of the Bishop from the time he lived here. At three in the
afternoon there was a Maori Service at Moturoa. The Pakeha still came along at
the time of the service. The congregation included Pakeha, Maori, Indians,
Greeks, Italians and people of other races from the ships, and so the Bishop
preached in Maori and in English. It was moving that shotguns were fired in
salute, one after another. At seven o’clock the service was in the main church
in New Plymouth The Pakeha were not deterred by the rain that night. The building
was filled with between seven hundred and eight hundred people. The
congregation took up all the space in the church.
On
the Monday we went to Parihaka to the pa of Tohu and Whitu. This is one of the
pa where it is difficult to arrange services. Ministers have problems with
getting permission to take services there. The Bishop was aware of this, but on
our arrival he was warmly welcomed. First, those people wept for those who had
died, then there was a meal followed by a service. Afterwards there were
speeches of welcome. These were new things for Parihaka, welcoming such a thing
as a minister. The Bishop and I slept there. On the Tuesday morning the people
came and asked the Bishop to take a service before we left and the Bishop was
delighted with this. On Tuesday 16th we left Parihaka and travelled
to Waitara where we attended the meeting of the Pakeha clergy of Taranaki (the
Clerical Meeting) where the Bishop spoke to them about the work amongst the
Maori.
In
the evening the Bishop arrived on the marae where all the tribes of Taranaki
along with those from Whanganui, Wellington and Te Waipounamu had gathered.
They were waiting for Sir Apirana Ngata. However, news arrived that Ngata was
ill and hui was left to share the tribes’ experiences of plunder and
confiscation. The Bishop stood on the marae and there was grieving before he was greeted first by the local
people and then by the visitors as well. Two people stood
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to
mock the Bishop, but I was relieved that these were not Waitara people. Perhaps
only one person from the marae treated the Bishop in this fashion and that was
Te Whiti’s son. But the elders of the marae scolded those men. One of the
elders of the mare, Te Kapinga, said that Te Whiti’s teaching was that there
should be peace and goodwill towards people, therefore it was wrong to speak
disrespectfully to people. But the people as a whole welcomed the Bishop
warmly. That night the Bishop conducted a large service on the marae, and the
people listened eagerly to his sermon. On Wednesday 17th, at 7.30 in
the morning the Bishop celebrated the Lord’s Supper in St John’s, Waitara, and
at 7.30 in the evening there was an English service there and some of the
Pakeha were very keen to hear our Bishop. The Pakeha appreciated that he was a
great treasure in our eyes while some of us thought of him as the pearl that
had been lost. On the morning of Thursday 18th, all the tribes
assembled on the marae . Sir Maui Pomare, Tuiti Maketanara, and others arrived.
In his opening speech Sir Maui Pomare welcomed the Bishop and trusted that he
would be strengthened to carry out his work. The Bishop stood again to salute
the tribes, and Sir Maui Pomare in his heavy responsibilities. On the Thursday
evening, the Bishop took his final service on the marae which was attended by
crowds of people. On the Friday morning the Bishop travelled from Waitara to
Otaki. There will be an account of the speeches made on this visit. Thank you,
Bishop, for making yourself known to your people.
Kahi
T Harawira,
Waitara.
WHAT
KIND OF MAN IS HE?
Many
serious words were uttered by Sir Apirana Ngata at the commemorations for
Taranaki Te Ua at Omahu on 25th March. Te Reo records some of those
words. (1) The carefully-placed stitches, sewing together the pieces, complete
the whole garment.’ Ngata said that he first heard these words spoken by the
Bishop of Aotearoa at Tikitiki. He thinks that this is the important saying for
these times. So, why is this saying important? Let Te Reo try to explain how it
understands it. It is right to say that the Bishop is the ‘Needle that
carefully puts the stitches in place.’ As he goes around the country he is
sewing together the tribes and bringing them together as one in the Faith. It
is right to say that his word also describes Ngata, Ngata has sewn together the
tribes of the country, he has brought them together as one. But perhaps this is
only half of the meaning of this saying – only one half. ‘The needle that
carefully puts the stitches in place.’
[982]
If this work is completed we will have a
garment that covers this one and that one – the work is ‘service.’ Bishop
Bennett and Sir Apirana Ngata are both ‘Needles.’ From the time these two began
speaking prophetically they have done good, one for the spiritual side and one
for the material side. If any wish to climb to the heights reached by these
two, this is the ladder: ‘Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your
servant.’ (Matthew 20.26)
(2) ‘Hang up your genealogies on the walls
of your sleeping houses.’ Many people
say that when Ngata said these words he meant that we shouldn’t bother
memorising our genealogies. Paul said something similar to Timothy (1 Timothy
1.4). Paul was saying to Timothy that if we devote our time to such things
there will be no end to it. The outcome is arguments and fighting. Ngata says
the same. What the times are saying to us Maori is, according to Ngata, ‘work.’ If we work we will prosper. If we work we
will achieve equality with the Pakeha in these days. If we are lazy we will be
trodden down by the Pakeha and sink into the mire. Te Reo has often heard Ngata
say, ‘Hold on to your Maoritanga.’ It is by those genealogies and Maori ideas
that we will hold on to our Maoritanga. But, chiefs and others, value the
genealogies. Be aware of the insignificant people; it is through the
insignificant people that we know the great people. This is ‘the palisaded pa.
’But, according to Scripture, one thing unites great and small – God alone.
(Luke 3.38) Therefore, these words are about work – hang up the genealogies. At
the Tennis Hui at Whanganui Ngata said, ‘I have carefully observed you,
Whanganui. You go to work carrying your genealogies on your backs. When Ngati
Porou and I go to work we stuff our genealogies into boxes before we go lest
they get dirty.’
At Omahu this was said, ‘The chief does not
need his genealogy. It is only the low- born who show off their genealogies to
give them some status alongside the chiefs.
But, you chiefs and others, when there is work to be done, hang your
chiefly genealogies on the walls of your bedrooms. Then you can be at one with
the low-born beside you when you start work.’ That is, have a room for
genealogies and a separate room for work. A time for one and a time for the
other. (3) ‘If Ngati Kahungunu learn to put into rooms their thoughts, their
works and their customs, they will realise that they are one of the strong hapu
of the country. They may also become examples for others.’ This saying may
indeed shine. It is an important saying to be taken to heart by the thoughtful. Indeed. Te Reo sees three parts to this
saying. (a) Put in rooms, etc. (b) Be strong, be famous, etc. (c) Be a guide,
etc.
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Ngati Kahungunu is a great hapu. There are
three parts – Te Wairoa, Heretaunga, and Wairarapa. Like other hapu sometimes
they are up and sometimes they are down. It is the leaders who se
t the direction. In these days the fortunes of Kahungunu are going down. But they were down before the days of the parents. The land was gone, the mana was lost, and the leaders were [hamatemate - ?exhausted]. Now all are leaders, all are chiefs. In brief, everything is heading in different directions, everything is mixed up. Here is where perhaps putting into rooms comes in. (a) Putting into rooms, etc. Catholic is the chief who has work to be done. Missionaries [C of E], Mormons, Ringatu, Ratana, are the workers. Before work started, Catholic said, 'My friends, I want you all to become Catholics and then I will give you the work to do.’ Ratana gets up. ‘Eh! That is not right. Leave religion in its own room. Work is a separate room. I and my fellow workers just want to earn shillings.’ ‘Hear, hear! Ratana. You are right. Let’s work and keep your own religion.’ Don’t be like Papu Tutaki who stood to be a member for the Labour Party and joined the Ratanas who then voted for him. The Church has its own room; voting for a member of parliament is another room. Therefore, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngata’s saying is right for us. We must first realise which room our ideas belong in, then we shall be able to walk together with other tribes who are stiff-necked when it comes to dealing with the new entanglements of the time.
(b) Be strong, be famous, etc. Ngati
Kahungunu was a strong and famous hapu in times past. Although it is still
famous now, it presents a new face which is just a shadow of what it was. There
is not the stability there was in former times. Wairarapa was strong in the
time of Tamahau. Heretaunga was strong in the time of Taranaki. When these
leaders had died, Te Wairoa was strong. Hata Tipoki, Turi Kara and Patu Terito
were leaders of this end of Kahungunu. Many good things were happening to Ngati
Kahungunu at Te Wairoa. They had set up their own self-help group, the
Kahungunu Welfare League. They made very effort to follow Ngata’s guidance.
Most were engaged in dairy farming. When there was no more room they went to
find land at Taupo. His end of Ngati Kahungunu was doing well. The Church of
England, the Mormons and the Ringatu all had a foothold. Ratana were expanding
but perhaps only for a short time.
Ngati Kahungunu of Heretaunga has serious
problems. Of 600 people, 10 were sheep farmers, 10 were dairy farmers, 10 were
agriculturalists, 10 grew tomatoes, some were shepherds, and there was the
minister. Most are content to sit around and be servants to the Pakeha.
[984]
They don’t stir themselves to look for a
permanent job which would bring in money to support themselves and their
families. They wait for the rents, or some wait for shearing time. Easy enough!
When the farming year ends they return to sitting about. No problem! From outside
one sees the downfall of Ngati Kahungunu of Heretaunga. As they see it, that’s
fine always being servants of the Pakeha. Oh Heretaunga! Bestir yourselves, you
and Wairarapa. Don’t leave it to Te Wairoa to sustain the fame of all
Kahungunu.
(c) Be a guide, etc. Kahungunu provided an example before. That
was when Paraihe was the man, Karaitiana was the man. There were Tomoana, and
Tamahau, and Taranaki Te Ua. After these the guiding ceased.Now they are guided
by ideas that are mistaken, lies. It is perhaps ignorance that has
caused the downfall. It is the same with good projects; people dream about them
but do nothing. Bishop Bennett is indeed a prodigious person to be leading them
now. He is from Te Arawa, but Ngati Kahungunu say that it was because he lives
in Heretaunga that he was made Bishop. Perhaps? Greetings, Kahungunu. Be eager,
take care of yourselves, and don’t go back to how things were in the past. Look
at the words of advice you have been given and think carefully about them. You
young enlightened people of Kahungunu, take the long view. Don’t be focused
behind your own noses, or, as the Pakeha puts it, don’t be self-centred. This Pakeha
saying reflects the burial pit of the many nations of the world. Let us not also
be separated. Rise up! Wake up! Gird yTourselves to be your own
servants! Time will mark you out for the days to come.
LET PEOPLE COME TOGETHER.
To Te Reo o Aotearoa.
Please take on board these few words for
the information of educated people, for those ignorant elders who belong to
this dark world.
It has become clear to me that we Maori
will not be brought together by setting up a king or by following prophets. Indeed,
it was just a game that brought together the educated young people of the
country at Ngaruawahia. We also have people gathering in Maori meeting houses for
meetings of the Bishopric of Aotearoa, for Council meetings, for Rugby Board
meetings, for national Tennis Tournaments, as well as for the huge Waikato
gathering. The country’s wise people travelled to Ngaruawahia. It was a
wonderful gathering. The eyes saw, and the ears heard the words, ‘Hold on to your
Maoritanga.’ ‘Come together, be united,
in these Pakeha days.’ ‘Learn the treasured things of the Maori – the songs,
the imprecatory chants, the lullabies, the haka, the carving, the weaving, the
dances, the genealogies, and the Maori language.’ ‘There is no room for you on
the peaks of the Pakeha , they are full of Pakeha; rather turn to your Maori
side.’
[985]
‘Give me the country’s young people who
wish to farm so I can settle them on the pumice lands of Tuwharetoa. Do this
quickly while we still have the power.’ ‘The treasures for the thoughtful
mind.’
Best wishes to Te Puea, today’s Wairaka.
She was the woman who scooped up the taniwha from each of the deep pools of the
Waikato where they had been carrying off people in the river. Best wishes,
Hine. Best wishes to you and your ‘helper’, Apirana Ngata.
Greetings, Ngata. It is obvious that you
are behind hui like this throughout the country. The Voice for the Time. ‘Bring
people together,’ and you are the one who embodies this. You see the people of the country as being one. This
is a remarkable thing which hasn’t happened before. I see this as a work of the
Almighty.
Consider this. The ancestors tried to bring
the people by setting up a king. It was offered to Te Heuheu, he declined and
suggested Te Kani-a-Takirau, who declined and suggested Waikato. This was
Potatau. The constitution was on parchment. The people were not brought
together, but the land died and people died.
Greetings, Ngata. You are bringing people
together with a programme of farming, of retaining our Maoritanga, of engaging
with Pakeha learning, and of holding to the faith. The tribes have come
together since the opening of the doors of the Waikato Orphanage. That is
remarkable.
Ngata, I see you as the Maui of our time.
You have fished up a new land for y0ur Maori People, by means of shillings.
With shillings we get land, the lands we possessed in the time of our ignorance,
in the time when we retained our sovereignty. That is wonderful.
I have instructed my ministers, Missionary
and Ringatu, to pray for you to bring in the days when there will be a good end
to our sorrows. God, bless Apirana and all his household. This is my prayer.
Amen.
From your companion in the work.
Te Whetu Paerata,
Ruatoki, 6th April, 1929.
To the Editor of Te Reo.
Greetings.
Please send out this message to the whole world. At three o’clock on the afternoon of Thursday, 10th
April, Te Miira Te Tokomauri Te Tomo arrived at my home. His business with me
was to tell me that his mother has compeltely cut herself off from him and the
mother of his children. You should understand that this is his birth mother and
not his foster-mother. This woman had grabbed and leased his land to Te Whiwhi
Tapine. I did not know about this.
Te
Miira had gone to cut posts for himself near the Rangitikei River. When he
finished he returned home. Back home, Te Whiwhi said to Te Miira that the posts
were his because they were from his land. Te Miira said to him to wait while he
fetched a surveyor. When Te Miira went away, Te Whiwhi came and took away thw
posts. When the surveyor surveyed the land he determined that the land belonged
instead to the Pakeha. Te Miira summonsed Te Whiwhi. On 26th April
judgement was given against Te Whiwhi. Thereupon
Te Miira’s mother became involved and paid Te Whiwhi’s costs. What the country
needs to be aware of is: (1) Te Miira has been rejected by his own mother; he
is a stranger to her. This woman has been helping her own son’s opponent. (2)
Te Whiwhi is a supporter of the Ratana Church, and his gospel is to reject
people. When Te Miira disappeared to Putaruru his family was rejected. (3) Te
Whiwhi is someone who supports the Ratana Church. It is extraordinary that those
who support the Ratana Church have as their good news the rejection of people
and the marriage of children who are under age.
Therefore,
Editor, spread abroad these words to the four corners of the country, including
Te Waipounamu.
Taite
Te Tomo,
Kakariki,
16th April, 1929.
THE
TROUBLE WITH US MAORI PEOPLE.
To
the Editor.
I thank you that I
have been able to read Arapeta Awatere’s letter in which he asks why we Maori
People are as we are. The origin of this question lies with the Public Works.
He pointed out that the Ward Government stopped the
building of the railway line between Rotorua and Taupo, and that only the
Pakeha were transferred to the East Coast line. The 40 Maori were not included.
The writer explained that the five Maori who were members of the Union were
re-employed.
Therefore, Editor, I want to explain the broad range of
works carried out by the PWD, works that benefit everyone. Some Department of
these are: constructing railway lines, producing electricity, making roads, and
other things that benefit all.
The Unions asked the Government for a Preference Clause
which would apply to those working in Public Works. Massey did not agree. Nor
did Ward agree. It was obvious that the Government did not favour Unions. We
know that the problem
[986]
that
Awatere was addressing lay not with the Union but with the Government
Officials.
As
for moving workers from one place to another, my friends, I say to you that it
is the Government that is responsible for such works, that is, the engineers.
These are the ones who put us Maori down.
Since I am one of
the Officials who run the Union called the NZWU, that is, the Union of New
Zealand Workers, I want to explain the work of the Union in the Camps. In all
Camps the Union Rules have been made available to guide and protect all the
workers. They are not for Union members only, but for those who don’t belong to
the Union as well. There is no distinction between these people. All the
benefits fought for by the Union are for
all workers, Union members and non-mambers. All the good conditions that
workers enjoy have been obtained by the Union battling with the Government.
Those working for the Pubi Works also get those benefits. Therefore I say, to
those of us Maori who are doing such work, that it is appropriate to make a
contribution to the Union that brings benefits to all workers. But I must say
that we Maori are better at supporting the work of Unions than the Pakeha; 90%
of Maori contribute to this compared with 80% of Pakeha. I am very
well-informed about this.
[987]
The work the Union
does in the Camps is: (1) Inspecting the accommodation, the beds, etc. (2) Water and drinks. (3) Seeing that the
food is right for working people, etc. (4) Ensuring that people get the right
pay, etc. (5) Collecting from each person a contribution to the survival of the
Union. (6) Setting up a Committee: a President, a Secretary, and three members
– five in all. But the size of the Camp determines the appropriate size.
The task of the
Committee is to inspect every aspect of the Camp to ensure good conditions for
the workers – conditions that are good for the body, the mind, the heart and
for work.
Bob Tutaki
[988]
THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE COUNCILS
Ngaruawahia.
18th March, 1929.
To Sir Apirana Ngata,
Minister for Maori Affairs,
Ngaruawahia.
Father, greetings.
The hui of the Country’s Councils was held
this Saturday at the Maori Pa at Ngaruawahia to look at and discuss the work
being done under the Councils Act and the associated Bylaws.
There was much investigation and thinking
done by the members regarding things missing and matters of concern relating to
the Act and the Bylaws, and it was obvious that the Hui was of one mind about the powerlessness of the Act to fulfil
most of the wishes of the Councils. The Hui decided to appoint Captain Pitt, H
Love, H Marumaru, H Tai Mitchell, and Dr Ellison, to be a special committee to
summarize the few ideas of the Hui
concerning the Act and the Bylaws and to submit them to the Maori
Minister.
Therefore, as required, I write to you.
1.
This
treasure, the ‘Right to run our Marae,’ is highly valued by most of the people
of the country.
2.
These
works were carried on strongly for many years until Timi [Sir James Carroll]
was no longer in his post as Minister. From that time up to the present the
works of the Councils have suffered because of the failure of the Government to
amend the weak places in the Laws. At this tome oit os right to say that the
country’s Councils are moribund, and the gift given us by our father, Timi, is,
as you say, in need of cleaning up.
You know, as we
also know, the weaknesses of the law and therefore we ask you to design a
provision for our Marae so that all is done well in our Pa.
The following are some of the things that
were carefully considered by the Hui:
1.
The
Maori Councils Act and its Bylaws should be revised and consolidated, taking
into account today’s situations.
2.
Include
a clause covering the idea of life insurance which will soon be brought into
being.
[989]
The Hui thinks
that an annual collection should be made to cover this with the money being in
a single fund. An account book must be carefully kept. The Government should
contribute £1 for every £3 collected.
The
collectors should apply themselves to the task; the insurance money will pay
the doctor and the hospital.
3.
There
should be a clear definition as to what the words ‘Maori dwelling’ refer to –
what and where.
A dwelling
in a Public Works Camp.
A dwelling
in the borough.
A dwelling
in a Town Board Area.
A dwelling
in the Pa.
4.
The
extent of the powers of the Maori Council must be specified. For example, if a
Maori is living as a Pakeha, does the Council have authority over him and his
home.
5.
There
was thoughtful discussion and the Hui thinks that money should be available
from the Government to make it easier for Councils to carry out what is
required by the Act.
6.
That
the Department should pay the expenses of members required to attend area
meetings of the Councils. It should be remembered that there are four meetings
of the area Councils a year.
7.
That
improvements to sanitation and water supply on marae should be subsidised pound
for pound by the Department.
8.
That
no more than two members of a Marae Committee should be given authority to look
into and decide upon issues brought before the Committee. If there is some
irregular behaviour on the part of one, or some, or all of the members of the Committee, towards
those bringing the complaint, then the Chairman will appoint a disinterested
person to investigate and decide upon the matter.
9.
The
Delegates of the Maori Council will hold a General Meeting during Easter Week
every year.
10.
The
District Councils should be provided with copies of the new Act and the new
Bylaws.
Wiremu
Piti,
Chairman,
Meeting of the Maori Council.
To
Sir Apirana Ngata Kt.
Father,
At
the closing meeting of the Delegates to the Maori Council the following motion
was passed:
‘Because
this is the first meeting of the Delegates to the Maori Council since Sir
Apirana Ngata was appointed as Minister of Maori Affairs, this meeting wishes
to congratulate him on attaining this honourable status. This Hui has observed
your loving heart
[990]
and
your careful leading, and the Maori Council looks to y0ur guidance in matters
it will have to deal with in coming days.’
This
was agreed unanimously with applause.
Wiremu
Piti,
Chairman,
Maori Council Hui.
Ngaruawahia,
18th March, 1929.
To
Te Puea Herangi.
My
lady, greetings. This is to inform you that at the Hui of the Maori Council,
held on your marae, the following motion was passed:
This
Council Hui greets and thanks Te Puea Herangi for inviting the nation’s tribes
to meet together. The Council was fortunate that the members could meet and see
one another and talk together about the contents and the application of the
Councils Act. Therefore this body is very grateful to you and all your hapu for
the effort you put into welcoming us so warmly. Where do we go from here? This
saying is very applicable – ‘Tatou tatou,’ ‘We belong together.’
Agreed
unanimously with applause.
Wiremu
Piti,
Chairman,
Maori Council Meeting.
Ngaruawahia,
18th March, 1929.
To
Wiremu Piti.
Sir,
my best wishes to you. I have received you letter of 18th and the
motions passed by the Maori Council Hui held at Ngaruawahia. This is to say
that all these matters will be carefully considered.
My
thanks to the Delegates to the Hui for their congratulations on my being made
Minister of Maori Affairs.
Yours
sincerely,
A
T Ngata
Minister
for Maori Affairs.
Wellington,
27th March, 1929.
OTHER
ITEMS
Reports
we have received say that although the King has recovered well from his
illness, his rheumatism appears to be returning. ‘God save the King.’
News
from Paris is that General Weygard has replaced Marshal Foch, and consequently
he will be Chairman of the War Cabinet of England, France, Belgium, Italy and
Japan.
[991]
We
have heard that General Booth, Head of the Salvation Army Church, is seriously
ill. Although he took a different direction from that of his father, he was
very enthusiastic. [Edward J] Higgins was elected as his successor.
On
11th April a report was published by the Commission set up to
investigate the [? Ora-topu – ? collective wealth] of England. It
found that there are 600 millionaires in England. The number making between
£50.00 and £70,000 a year is 330. A total of 123 people make between £70,000
and £100,000 a year. A total of 147 individuals make more than £100,000 a year.
Sir William Joynson-Hicks, the English Home
Secretary, said, in his speech to the Lay Assembly of the Church of England,
‘You should swiftly bring an end to your deliberations about where we should
be. According to the High Church we should join the Church of Rome; the Low
Church (Evangelical) thinks we should unite with our many other Churches. To
me, this means with our Free Churches. There is little difference between us
and them except for the hierarchical management. The teachings are all based on
the one thing, the Bible. We ought to apply ourelves to this.
We have heard that at the end of this year
Korana [Gollan] Maaka will graduate from Otago University as a doctor, and
Tiaki Karaitiana from Victoria College as a lawyer. Both these young men are
from Heretaunga.
Fortunately Smith-Hulm and the others have
been found. Because of the storms and their plane running out of fuel they came
down in a swampy plain. They were lost for 12 days before they were found by
the search party. They had survived on shell-fish [? i taki ai] the
days. Anderson, one of those being searched for was found to have died; he was
lying underneath his plane. Hitchcock, another of those being searched for, is
still missing.
LADY NGATA
On the morning of Friday, 18th
April, word went around, ‘Oh, Arihia Ngata has entered the long rest.’ We were
suddenly shocked and deeply distressed. Farewell, Mother. Farewell! We bid
farewell to the strong lady who promoted Ngata as he ascended to the heights of
honour of these days. Farewell. [? ‘Kia mau ki tai ki tua. He popoa, he
hanea.’ .
Arihia Lady Ngata was a daughter of Tuta
Tamati of Whareponga. As a girl she attended schools. Because of this she was
able to help her husband in his important work. She was a gentle and humble
woman.
[992]
She had no desire to put herself in the
forefront. She valued being behind on the side of the [?Wiwi - ?Little
Ones]. Her knowledge of Maori culture made her a great helper to her husband
when it came to haka, waiata, songs, and other things that ornament Maori hui.
She was a woman of faith. She was strong in her support of activities which
promote the faith. She hoped to sustain the faith of Ngati Porou. Parties would
arrive at her home at all times. She was never troubled when she had to care
for her visitors but treated them as if they were part of her family of
fourteen. She promoted eleven of her family, sending them to schools; now they
are grown up. [Note: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand says that Ngata
‘left four sons and four daughters.’]
She married Apirana Turupa Ngata when the
Minister of Maori Affairs was at the University of Auckland. Ngata was working
in his legal office when their first child was born. From that point Ngata
progressed through various important positions with Arihia quietly supporting
him. When her husband was made Maori Minister she received many
congratulations. It was realised that it was her firm and accommodating ways
that made his work easier. She saw her husband being knighted and becoming the
Maori Minister, and along with him she participated in these honours. Therefore
it is right to say that this bereavement does not just affect Sir Apirana and
Ngati Porou but the Maori People as a whole.
The Family
Rina Te Kani Te Ua (Turanga), Tai Green,
Parearau Pouwhare, Hinehou Te Purei (Waiapu), Hana (Hukarere), Wiremu Tipene,
Te Purewa, and Henare Kohere Ngata (Waiapu). Wiremu Ngata is a teacher at Te
Aute College.
CONSUMPTION
The Cause of Consumption
T Wi Repa, MB, ChB.
The cause of Consumption is a very, very small
germ. It belongs to the species of germ called ‘a microbe.’ It is known as the
‘bacillus tuberculosis.’ To give an indication of how very small this germ is –
if one million were put into a single heap, the heap would not be visible to
the human eye. However, if that heap was put under the right lens, that is, the
microscope, the heap could be seen and perhaps some of the content of the heap.
This is what is involved in seeing it. All the world’s doctors have done this.
Let us say that a person with consumption
is asked to cough into a dish. The doctor takes up his platinum wire which has
a knotted end. He picks up a small bit
of the phlegm on the knotted end of the platinum wire.
[993]
The doctor then takes his smearing glass
called a ‘slide.’ The phlegm from the knot of the platinum wire is [placed on
the slide and] dried over the ‘Bunsen flame’ before being stained with
Carbol-fuchsin. After three minutes the stain is washed. After this dilute
Nitric acid or Hydrochloric acid is used to complete the washing of the stain.
However, the acid cannot remove the stain from the bacillus tuberculosis. When
it is dry, drops of gum arabic are trickled onto the slide. A coverglass is
placed over the gum Arabic after which it is placed on the stage of the
microscope to be looked at by the doctor. If there is bacillus tuberculosis in
the phlegm that is being looked at it will appear as a small red thing. It is
the bacillus tuberculosis, the cause of consumption. If a small part of that
phlegm is inserted into the veins of a living rabbit, that rabbit will get
consumption. If a part of the infected place of that rabbit is inserted into
another rabbit it too will get consumption. If the infected parts of the rabbit
are examined, like those of the human sufferer from consumption, that same
small red germ will be found upon the slide.
Whether it be humans, cows, rabbits, pigs, or monkeys who have
consumption, they will all be found to carry the bacillus tuberculosis.
Therefore, informed people throughout the world agree that this is the cause of
consumption. Maori call it a kehua, an evil spirit.
Boiling water kills the bacillus
tuberculosis. This bacillus dies after being boiled in water for fifteen
minutes. It is also killed by the heat of the sun. If it is left in a small
glass bowl on a tabletop in the sun it will die in an hour or slightly more. It
is also killed by Carbolic acid, by a corrosive sublimate, and by some other
liquid medicines. That demon bacillus is also killed by fresh air. The
bacillus relishes damp places, the corners of bedrooms, stale air, unventilated houses, and dust.
But this seed or demon of this illness can
be seen by human eyes. The demon of our ancestors, the demon that most of our
people believe in today, cannot be seen. If one can see the enemy one can kill
him or deflect his blow. But this enemy is invisible; one cannot make a weapon
with which to kill him or deflect his blow. Because the enemy has been
discovered Pakeha doctors are able to make a weapon against it, they can repel
it. The basis on which the enlightened world carries on its battle against consumption
is the discovery of the bacillus by Robert Koch in 1882. The hope is that
consumption will be eliminated.
There are many ways in whidh the germ of
consumption gets to
[994]
Maori people. First: The coming
together of Maori people in sleeping accommodation or meeting houses, the
healthy with those who have consumption. There are no sleeping quarters in
these days, but if the shutters of houses are closed then they are like
sleeping quarters. At our hui those with consumption sit beside those who are
healthy in our meeting houses. Those with consumption cough, [the phlegm] lands
on the dust, it dries out, it floats up. It is sucked in by children and
adults. There are perhaps some who are vulnerable and they will be the ones who
will get consumption. It also happens that those with consumption may sleep
alongside those who are healthy. Second: The bacillus of consumption can
be in the milk of cows that is drunk by little children. This is one of the
main reasons why people get consumption. This is one of the main ways whereby
babies or older childrenoiling. get consumption. The small children of the
world are those who mostly get consumption, that is, children under the age of
five. Each year between 1901 and 1910, 3000 children in every one million
people in England and Wales died of consumption. In ten years, 30,000 children
in that age group contracted consumption. That consumption came from the milk
given to the children. At that time no law had been put in place to ensure that
milking cows and cattle killed for meat should be tested. Cows owned by Maori
are not tested for consumption. They are far from the large towns where the
government inspectors operate. I know that not a single cow in Waiapu,
Matakaoa, Te Kaha, Raukokore, Maraenui, Omaio, ruatanhuna, Maungapohatu,
Ruatoki, Tirau or Waikaremoana has been tested for tuberculosis by government
inspectors. Therefore the right thing to do is to boil the milk to kill the
consumption germs in it. The best thing is to heat thee milk so that it is
close to boiling, just bubbling, then move it to one side but close to the
flame for five minutes. All the germs are killed by this heating, and the
goodness of the milk is not impaired. But the best thing is the boiling. Third:
Meats. Meats can be badly infected with tuberculosis – cattle and also
pigs. The animals not badly affected by tuberculosis are sheep. The right
things to do is to roast the meat well so that the fire kills the germs. Fourth: What foods benefit those with
consumption? I have seen the child of a person who has consumption and
is coughing up blood drinking water from the bottle used previously by the
father. The father had put the neck of the bottle into his mouth and the child
did the same. I have seen the man giving the bottle ….
(To be continued.)
[995 (Supplement)]
NGA MOTEATEA
Supplement to ‘Te Reo o
Aotearoa.’
Part II
Waiata 177 to 190,
their English translations, and their notes, can be found in Nga Moteatea, Part
II – A T Ngata and Pei Te Hurinui Jones. Auckland University Press 2005.
