BACKBLOCKS TEACHER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 108, 10 January 1940, Page 8

BACKBLOCKS TEACHER

"SWOTS UP" RUGBY FOR THE BOYS POSTMISTRESS AND PARSON It is h:iril to believe that there still exists in New Zealand a district which has remained untouched by the white man'-; ptogress. Ye! this can still be sal.! ul' Maur.gapohatu. once made famous when Lhe prophet Una made a stand against the authorities. To reach the settlement onr must travel either on foot :>r horseback alone; <i tracit I ha', winds through valleys and over vidges. for a (iistance of I - miles from I lie Y\'airoo-Uotorua that skirls the shore of hnk- Waibaremoana. There is a second route ol a similar nature that comes into the set i lemcn t from the Opotiki :nc.e. When H'.ia made his headquarters : here. !he ponulation of Ma'.ingopo- !?;>.! u was l'airly large. in;!: al p:esent it is .conlined to about a do/en families. It has its post of! let' and school, tin- latter being supported partly by ill- Native Departmenand part!;.* !>y lhe Church of New Zealand. The school roll numbers 2(> and the three women teachers instruct the Maor: youth in the three It's and handc-alt work. Likes the Work. In charge of the school is Mi—' i. 1). Pauiger, who has been for 1." years in the Urewera and says she lias no desire to change from the work she is doing. Ihe Maoris apparently depend on her a great deal and her tasks arc many and varied as a result. In addition to sehoojmistress, she is postmistress, Sunday School teacher and church missioner. In the last-named eapaeity she is called upon to conduct Christian burial services. She has no authority to marry people, but can tell amusing stories of widows coming to her for advice about a second husband. She adds: "But no matter what I might say they invariably go away and do as they like." Playing Rugby. Miss Pauiger also tells an amusing stCry of how one day she decided. that part of her duty was to teach the boys how to play "Rugby. She wrote away for a book ol rules and wh'.Mi those arrived, she duly set to work lo "swot up the game There was a none too level piece of ground nearby, and having consulted the rule book once more, she and the children set lo work to mark out the playing held. The boys were eager to blow up lhe ball, but she thought enough 'nail beer, done for one day so it was decided to start play next day. Idiere was great excitement when the ball was eventual!y inflated and :-de> and the boys got to work in the s.'tt.ng ol a .serum. Here Miss I'aulger ended irer Rugby si cry. but admitted that ihe . ground had sine;: been ploughed up for potatoes. Maungapohal n boasts of two bieveies carted in ny p;,ck beise. hill they are not o! much : e-e as the !t :\ . level ground.' is v/i" is i-y .■ • v.-:s-::g rHe w. ,Ib! b:.-.. ; i be■* choice but .ou.id ane •eu.ui lhe buibiing.