PREMIER: ON TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 7

PREMIER: ON TOUR.

MEETING WITH RUA AND HI& * FOLLOWERS. "TOO POWERFUL A CHIEF FOR ME," ( . SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. • : (BY TELEGEATE—MESS ASSOCIATION.I Rotorua, March 23. 7,' On tho Whakatano,,Beach yesterday on< ,of ,'tho; most-important-events of" the Prima tour of the Eastern Coast took place. On Saturday .tho Prime" Minister tolegraphed from Opotiki to Rua, the Maori chief ;ofthe- Urcwera country, whoso opposition to'tho Governnterit.policy in regard to the Natives lias caused the Government some ■trouble, asking him to moot him (Sir Joseph Ward) at Whakatane- 011 Monday. l'ha ;P.rime • Minister and his'party left. Opotiki shortly after five yesterday morning for the ; meeting-place, and arrived there at half-pasb .■■. eight.. The picturesquo'little town of Wliakatana'i was full of Maoris.-. On the narrow 'V'. stretch of ' beach, which 'is washed by the ißay of Plenty in • front, arid 1 buttressed by. , , frowning cliffs, whicli rise abruptly from bohind the township, were grouped : Uua and his followers, while a little distanco away, foregathered tho loyal ( clan that is led by, •Kerora. Tho loyal Kereras greeted th® . ... Primo Minister with ringing cheers. The-, i Ruaites remained sullenly silent. , j - A STRIKING PERSONALITY. i It 11a himself was seated on a chair in th® contro of tho bodyguard :he' had selected ,to: accompany him on this important visit. Ihi - chief, who has such a powerful influence over 1 his followers,- : has a striking: personality. Hia >. features aro handsome, "and.his sombre black ■ 'eyes'; .have. a . peculiarfascination >n tpmr; , -- glance. . It is said, indeed, that Rua has ai" kind of mesmeric influence over his followers, 1 who obey his will without questioning. Rua> ; claims '.tp .bo a Tohunga, and itho trusting J Natives who follow his leadership implicitly. accept him at his own valuation.: Rua now". asserts' that lie is John the Baptist sent to prophesy tho second:coming of the Messiah.. Unfortunately, - his • influence has hitherto'V. been against the 'efforts made for 1 lie Let- , torment of the Maoris: Rua, despite his ■■ -, ' .pseudo Christian belief, is averse to'all tho- _'J benefits "that'. Christian civilisation brings' ill-.V .; - ! its tjain. 'The. sanitary and hygienic laws . j aro to him merely the artificial fripperiugs ' ( . ] of the decadent Pakeha;-ho will havo noiio /j of them. . " ..- V! THE MEETING. ■ The meeting between Sir Joseph Ward and' : - j Rua -was an impressive spectacle. The Primo , - -j Minister'advanced down the beach towards the chief, who was seated on a chair close to ■ 1 tho water's edge'.- ~. Incidentally, 'it may : bo : ■ . 1 'mentioned that Rua. once:claimed he could ' actually walk 011 tho water, and' came down v V, - ! to tho beach'with' a'numb'er of ;Natives, who .-: .-,i Were anxious that ho should ; perform thei. » feat: One would; have thought this v-aa • .'rather, ari'awkward; fix, but- the Maori pro- -- pliet Was equal to the occasion. He turned' to his followers, arid said: "Do you trulv belicyo I can walk-on the water?" Yes, : ' they cried,-' with'.. one* ivoice. " Then there is 110' need lor ino to do it/' he' replied, and • away;.". AsjSir Joseph Ward ap-..: proached him;; horemained with downcast; .", eyes, but'greeted the Prime Minister' with a ,bow. Tho Prime Minister, through the inter- , .• ..j preter, greeted' the recalcitrant chief with .■ courtesy, and then delivered a tactful little . speech, iri which lie-thanked,Rna for bringing Ins followors-'down from tho TJrewcra Couritry to meot' hini:- Rua heard him in silence, and ro him apart, with\tho. interpreter, for a- pwttfto ,'. ■; 3 interview... . , '

What happened .it 'that interview is not •known,-but :if may be assrimcd that Sir Joseph Ward diplomatically convinced Rua of the futility of trying to sweep back tho ■ Atlantic Ocean with a native'broom, for Rua came out'a different thief. 'He walked down 'to'the beach .and-harangued his followers at some length. "What is ho saying?" wins;, pered - one of the ', white bystanders to o half-casto Maori - 'linguist. . " Telling ; them' itliat 'it's np .use trying to go against thr ; GoVpriimput. ; ; Their chief s too. powerful J too much'pbvref behind him; 'and lm saya!' h" (Rua)'is going to fix it all up to-morrow."; It may. bo mentioned, by the thafv one of' iUia's "dreams .-tfas , complete Nativ;'*.' :

SIR JOSEPH WARD ADDRESSES THW TrVAORIS. .'''.y,;.' Shortly afterwards Sir, Joseph addresse< , •both'' groups ; : of '-.Natives .' separately. 'Hi';' thanked tho 'Kereras''for..their;loyalty'to tho; constituted: Government; and advised . thoui •to try*arid settld-thcir.'difforcrices;with;tho;. E uaitcs aiidfi live happily—Korora , himself had jiroviously'■ complaincd that llua : had threatened.to shoot his son with ,'a rifle, and Itercra had taken it - upon himself to advise': his sou to shoot llua.. Sir Joseph gently chided; hiiiv for. this threatened relapse into" barbarism, and pointed out th<? consequences that would be likely to ensue from such, a\ misguided act. " "Let there bo no mora talk of shooting, ho said. •-. • • Then Sir Josoplr addressed tho Ruaitcs, and his remarks'woro listencd -to with the; closcst , attention. ;. .Ho , told'.thorn lie had promised ,'tp' consider tho.:mattorS v their.chiet; had placcd boforc him,, butfho frankly told them that'-ho.'.did'. not -'agree:with all 'llua had said.. .• Ho especiallydesires,' - continued' Sir 'Joseph, .!' that he and his' friends should, ba . on tho rolls to vote-for-members; of Parlia- ; incut, "but I havo. pointed buty-tb : him : that' tho Maoris liavo special - representatives of. their own, and they cannot havo; both Maori, •and European representatives.' , . The Prime Minister then went in for some pretty; straight talking about disaffection; linvthe, ,tribo controlled by Rua. '. " I told' Rua," lie remarked, "that in.New Zealand King Edward is King, aud is represented ; hero'' bv his Government. There can be no other 'Government or King.; The Government will do what is right by Rua and tho rest of tho Maoris as long: as they do what is right,-'•but thorp cannot ! betwo suna ■sinning'ih'the. sky'at-the olio timo." - Whakatano was left before 11 o'clock, arid To toko ;was reached in time for dinnor. After, "that meal, tlio Native school was visited, and; Sir Joseph followed tho lio baa adopted through tho'tour of giving tho children a holiday. The Native, pah was also visited.' When tho Prime Minister left, the children swarmed, round tho motor-car,' arid gavo him threo hearty cheers. Sir Joseph responded with, a cordial ." Kia ora," and the motor-car whizsed off. 1 ; -; :

ROTORUA. ] Rotorua was reached b,v mean's of tho beau- ] tiful Lakes Road, and tho party put up foi ■ i the night at thoVcity .of tho-hot' springs. ■/It.'i This . morning Sir. Joseph left Rotorua by ; J spccial train for Auckland. To-morrow nighv ;' : i tho Prime Minister will deliver ail address a* ■] Onohunga. ' : .'j . y ■. MINING RIGHTS. ! To-morrow, "hii important-, conference will b»'. ■ j held at. Ruatolu c between Rua arid tho othev ,1 Nativo'chiefs of tho district, and tho Ministo - i for Native Affairs respecting tho hininf.; ) rights on Nativo lands in tho Urowcra di» J trict. -. '' " .. . j