MAORI HOSPITALITY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 114, 24 January 1940, Page 5

MAORI HOSPITALITY

GRAND HUI SUGGESTED CENTENNIAL MEETING STAGGERED The hospitality of the Maori is proverbial, but even the members of the Centennial committee, who were expecting some sort of generosit.y on the part of the natives in connection with the forthcoming Whakatane celebrations were staggered last Thursday evening when ity as stated that they were quite prepa-rcd to provide a general hui, to which all were invited, following | tihe opening of the Heads Park. ! Mr A. O. Stewart stated that for this purpose, the Maoris were prepared to find the meat, the potatoes and kumaras, which would be cooked native fashion in liangis on the beach, and distributed to all present with the old-time ceremony. What they would like in return was for the committee to provide the groceries. The Mayor, in reply, said he appreciated the traditional generosity of the Maoris, but thought that they would be undertaking too great a responsibilitj" to provide food for an unlimited number. He suggested that the cooking at the Heads be confined to a demonstration which would be most interesting to the assemblage. The matter of assisting was purely dependent on the funds in hand which as all knew were not much. The above will no doubt be discussed by the Maori sub-committcc at its next meeting.