STRIKING SCENE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2165, 2 June 1914, Page 2

STRIKING SCENE

MAORI WO.yik.V AT A mi. ! At ii hu.i V\')iicrli w.is holu at Oliru, i.i ciiissuipi' oiiiii.Sidrih's for tlir> Norilwrri Maori constituency, im- vvliioh pi-. will not stand sit. this jwxi elr?tiOii. (states the Auckiicid a sudden awl dramatic turn was given to proceedings by 'the women present a S'.i!'!. Til!) 'Women's tec—Komiti Wnhiiio:— formed for tiie purpose o.i' looking iUter nuiitejt'f. their lords ntid masters considered within their jw-ovivitic, bail boon Mktwinp; tue js.recwdings ivit'i deep interest,, av<.u with olmmis imptiliettco to have the selection 'cf a candidate rna-ilo. AVhers titers was talk of an adjournment, their: k'sitler rose, and claimed that the women should hav© it voice in the matter. The men irere talking' otfdlp&l.v in a circle, aii cl the women Want;) go ami select a cauilidate themselves 'omp« for all, Majestically she led the Komiti 'Wahiiiß from the hall, before 1:ho Uatjierins hart time to adjust themselves la this now factor. t & Conservative Mais* | Retnruinu alter half-au-hour spent in j '3eeo consultation s the women's ' Ismcler stupped forward tn inn'fce their .iiomin-a-tioii. But one of iJm cftudidiites, wlw iiad a slui'w,! srfs]>iciau that lvo was hairlly likely to bo the favoured iioiniuee of this Komiti, iu«e to object. He stated the reasons ftgahsst the; Wowm heitig Allowed a \ou it pji it ami ffitli much forohcilinj.'. of what would hajipcii if thl-s innovation Was jit- • lowed. _A large part of the' gathering Was evidently with. him. thoiu;h tii'e Women nnii ••.•.tiicd, but the cfidnnau l'iil'ed that; os this women were eleejorSj thev had the rjgM to iiomiftate if .they' cUosa to exeteise it.

The Women's Choice, •From the eol'ifcTjiii which they squat* ted the s-pokemvalsiail of- tiiis liamiti \vahin© rejsc. ffom tire mat to speak. ! J.'iiroivh:ijr off her slitnilder-wrap, she stepped iiito this open. and faced ike Hieii with a gesture fru.-ff-plesdtngj ftjjtf. j defiant, h. woman of high -rait)? aiming ■ her people, and with.a swiKWiiat ibui&itic cittecr behind her, sta still sb.owecl ti.ie tracts of jirunt beauty which : increasing years couiff not wholly uUit-. tiralc. Jk'r speech tvas easily Cite fas- • J-'st he-ai'd at tha gathering, delivered with much dramatic gesture and the fall #sc of a pair of singularly fine and expressive eyes. It contained those allusions to ancient Maori- traditions and customs and scraps of aucicnt puoirv teloycd by Maori orators, rising now and then to lyrical outbursts, as when she ("it Heel the awn to cesiso idle j talking oil the banks, to UuiHcJi Hto war i;iinoc .on tlie stream, aiid man it for tile ■comiiij; fray. AV'ithal, the orator's tongue 1-kkl a keen feminine edge to it, aud the Komiti rocked themselves Hi testacy wmm sasne <>f -the ean-(tidatd-s/sqwrwioil rtmlor sly little stiilis,. I caustic phrases tl-m-t -test ■ n.aUnns Ky .hqiiiK delivered slowly awl sinoothly and with a bone,vert sjmk>. The Kuiaiiiji, \Vahtniv she saitl, had. eotis-Klered thr-m in their coinings' and goings, their down-sitting and uprteuij*, and their choice had fallen en. Tart IK-nate. -He was a man or' sense .'an i. ability, ;io vain talker, but cue Whose words ..were weigh-' od with wisdom; uo tlut'one who lifid always put the psblk weal bci(:r<: his |?iir;stt'. ailvaiiing". TiieK-ftitt!, TOulct tiic wotiioi 'wcsi.ve tlie Kirliatiientary n«S ior Tun Henaw, ftiid the Ngapahi must send .hifi) .to I'imckii, Utere' to sit in ihr. Hali of coiifscil with (he i-hosen oi the' prajil®, ""d .see tljat evcii-hautlcd iustico was watJici to tivc Maivri, A'i\d tho speaker, kvmewbat flushed as to featciic aitd sennt as ta ibreati), retirnl sjjai.M. fo-tlu; mat, and Uiniici'l liM'Sclf vigorously, Deaisisn to Olicnco. TuU 'Henare's supporters appkudod, the otlioi' Caiktidates' folimvcrs. icokecl jjium, while the ciders of this tribes wwo ik worried kok. Ever sinca the vatc had been jjiven unasked to Maori wqißow t.fey had voted asi their luciifiilk (Itrcclwl. N«W—visions of an iusUrgcnt sexj imitators of tbo.wird PaUc-h-a wome-tt, <>? which Patcha nmvspaiievs were full W(i;r,en were born tft bt> the trouhlo of ittftii. Debate died, and the hni bro-ko up witiiowt iny filial ifeeisicfH cs to eaiifikiaies. Bfft the twpivkr lirfiof is that the ICcsniiti \Vahine \rffl send its eit.ndidate I triiffnpii-afitly ta Wellii'igtoii.