MAORIS PAY LAST RESPECTS TO MINISTER

Chronicle (Levin), 12 April 1947, Page 2

MAORIS PAY LAST RESPECTS TO MINISTER

MR. SULLIVAN'S SON SUGGESTED FOR AVON * CHRISTCHURCH, April li. A sugg'estion that the Labour Party seleet Mr. Roy Sullivan to eontest tne Avon by-election in his father's plaee was made by the Soutli Island Maoris during "their farewell to Hon. D. U-. Sullivan in the Civic Theatre this evening. The suggestion was made by Alr. Te A. Pitama when he addresseu the Maori member of the Exeeutivo Co,uncil (Hon. E. T. Tirikatene) anu the Minister of Works (Hon. R. -Semple). He said the people of Ngaitahu had two suggestions. The lirsc was that they select Alr. Sullivan 's son to stand in his place, and the seconu was that the trovernment allovv the people of Ngai tahu to have the Maon meeting house from the 'Wellington eentennial exhibition as a niem'onal to Mr. Sullivan. It would be seen as a c.entre for the development, of Maon arts and c-rafts aiuong both Maoris anu pakehas. Mr. Pitama cxpressed tne sympathj' of the Maoris with the Sullivan family and with Messrs Tirikatene and Semple wlio had traveiieu from '.Wellington with the funerai party. The brief Maori ceremony which was1 brbadfcafeV, bega'n • ' wit'h" fraditi'ouai chants. Mr. W. Rehu, an elder oi Tuahiwi, then paid tribute to Mr. Sullivan after which Mr. Pitama spoke. Mr. Tirikatene joined in tne tribute to Mr. Sullivan and expresseu his personal sorrovv. He said the Maon people would not forget that when Mr. Sullivan visited the New Zealano troops in Italy he went among tne Maoris as well as the pakehas. He hau always been a friend of the l\Iaons. The Tuahiwi school children sang tne hymn used by the Maori battalion at the funerals of their comrades, " Aue Ihu." The ceremony ended with tne singing of the Maori lanieut "Piko Nei. " The whole ceremony was in the Maori tongue, and aftervvards the speeches whre translated for Mr. Semple by Mr. Tirikatene and a translation was supgilied to the newspapers by Mr. Pitama. *