THE LATE MR. HONE HEKE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 9

THE LATE MR. HONE HEKE

7 TRIBUTE BY MR. NCATA. ; • Tlio following tribute to, the Into Mr. Hono Hoke,' M.P., is .paid by tho Hon.' A, T. Nsjatiii —. "Tho deceased gentleman and-1 have been actively asscciatcd for eleven years l in Maori and general politics, and .< tie was not only my colleague, but a firm friend, almost a brother. Ho' was; kindly,:, courteous, li,bravo', soul, fighting heavy odds and wearing a. patient smile amid all tho turmoil.' '■ His death is: a .great'loss to tho Maori .'.people, while it', removes, from the domain of politics a notable figure.\ I lose a staunch 00-workor and: a bosom friend. My people hero, who have regarded him almost as; tlieir .representative, mourn for him." ,- : ': -■, ; : THE LAST HONOURS: :.An interesting sidelight on the career, of the late Mr. Hone Hoke'Was. supplied, to our representative by Mr.. H: JL. Stowell last, evening.''.'As you arc, of;course, aware, Mr. Hcko was'. the .■ Parlianie'tftary representative for .the. Northern Maori Electorate. v ',.But his political.prestige andhishabit of viewing the interests of race from : a national,'rather than parochial,. standpoint, donsti'uted; him,-.in many respects: a representative of the Maoris as.'a whole. This, characteristic has even 'to a certain .extent estranged him from.his own- people,, who, however, t returned him; to "Parliament by a handsome 1 majority. His death in: Wellington raises rather a delicate question. "When a man is taken .'ill, and there is reason to be : liove; that'.■'the'; illness is of: a. serious nature, ho isj if ; possible,, sent liome, to; his people. In the.case of the late chief; such:a-sudden-termination to- his career, was .unexpected. The Natives in the southern'.portion of the island consider that Hcke, fromhis "services to the race as a whole,.:is;'as niuchthdir-re-presentative aB he was, legally,, the representative of the Northern' Maori Electorate,.' and therefore .desire to honour his: remains at midday to-morrow in. a manlier befitting his status asa"chief,'and;prestige;as;a poli-, tician;,,Tt is ,an unprecedented situation—/ ,unk[uc r in fact. The remains will lie at Otaki during the afternoon and -'-evening.'; On Fri.'day they will be escorted to:Wanganui, to. lie, tlioro.on, the : afternoon: and cvoning of that day. !;..'On'-: Saturday ~th6\cof3h "will- be: entrained for Now Plymouth,. and ; therico 'to Manukau, en- route for Auckland, leaving there; on . Monday 1 by sea-to> Opua, from whioti nlace it will bo carried-by; rail to. ' Kawa .KaWa, and thence to. his 'homo; where: tho principal tan'gi. will be' held. -,'■: It; is un-. derstoodthat a demonstration on the: arrival of the train 'at New. Plymouth, and:aticach :placo-along the route...The body will thus, bo escorted:airtho.way.from.Wei-. -lington,\and handed over tbjiis owapeoplb—• ;' Here, we have brought him.home to you.' V '.:;■ V, Ma.- : MASSEYfS .TRIBTJTE;: : : > : v> .' :..In 'the course of his .speech' at ;the Tejvh Hall last; evening, "Mr/ Massey, Leader"of the Opposition, said I want.' to take the. opportunity,of saying a-word r.about. another subject,-, and if is < this:: Yqu .will have noticed in this, morning's paper;tho.a'nnouncemeiiV.of .the .death 6f:;Mr.-,Hone.'Heke.'..l would liko'to ; say that I entered iParliaineiit at the : same' time, as Mr. Heiie— : fifteen; years' ag0...-We 'came down, tbgothef to take our" seats' in Parliament in .1804. :.:■ Therefore,;l know him well. No'more kindly or generous man 'over .sat 'ill ParliamentYtliaii tho "genftloman who has just passed away..;,: He-was a ■man whose first thought waß always for the people of his.-, race—the' people whom: he represented in, Parliament., ; And: he -was pos-' ses'sed of, a great, deal, of that ability • in: cer-' jtaih' directioita with which many of !the: Maori people are.gifted. Mr. ;Heko enemies during the time he'w'as in -Parliament.' Ho: has .gdn<! to his: rc3t—arid -I- say;now, what: r.honestly believe ,:to'be..thevcase,; that' :by,- tho': people with .whom ho 'was' associated, .in;the Parliament of. New Zbaland,;Mr. i Heko •will,always.' be /remembered'. with'„.;kindly thought, and spoken of. witlukiridly: voice;'',..'.