MAORI WARRIORS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2570, 18 September 1915, Page 6

MAORI WARRIORS

" REINFORCEMENT DRAFT 'TQfDAY'S MARCH THROUCH THE CITY. Wellington' should seo an awakening -sight this afternoon, when the Second Maori Contingent..which has been carefully trained at Takapuna, Auckland, Avill march 1 .-through the city from tho railway station' to the Town Hall, where thoy will |bo' entertained at a public gathering, yv ' . 1 ;;

.Leaving Government Buildings at 2.30 p.m., the column will proceed along Lambton Quay, up Willis Street, along Manners Street, and down Cuba Street to the Town. Hall.' The Maoris will enter tlio. Town Hall, where- a public reception will bo extended .them. Short addresses will be given by His Excellency the Governor, the Right Hon; W. F.' Massey (Prime Minister), the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward (Minister of Finance), the Hon. James Allen (Minister of Defence), the Hon. Dr. Pomare, and the Hon;',Sir James Carroll. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. - John P. Luke) will ;preside. Afterwards the Maoris will .hold a private ceremony, to which no Europeans will be admitted. •

. The Mayor wishes to make it: clear that no invitations have .been issued for' the function, which is free to the general public. The Maoris will bo accompanied 'to town by -the balance of tho 6th Reinforcements, and an advance party of the "Trents" (Earl of Liverpool's Own), making a parade of 500 men. ■ , The Mayor requests that the public shall line the parade route, and give the Maori stalwarts a hearty welcome. All who can do so are requested ;to display bunting. ;;farewell at auckland By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, September 17. Three hundred and thirty' sturdy Maori soldiers this morning left the Narrow Neck camp at Devonport, where they have undergone thoir training' as .tbo first reinforcements to the New Zealand Native Contingent, to receive their public'farewell from the-people of Devonport and Auckland, prior, to their departure for Wellington. At the Devonport wharf they were farewelled on ljehalf of the residents by the Mayor (Mr. A. M. Pickford). .After arriving in the city they proceeded along Queen Street' to the Grey Statue, where they were given a hea-rty send-off by the Mayoi of Auckland (Mr. J. H. Gunson), several members of Parliament, ana Lieut.-Colonel' J. E. Hume, officer commanding the Auckland military district/ There'was a, large attendance of the public. One strikingly interesting feature of tho; farewell' was the presence'of a party of Botorua; Natives to give an old-time benediction to the warriors.l Sixteen women from Rotorua (led by tlio well-known guide, Bella, a sister of - Maggie Papakura) welcomed the-departing warriors in true Native fashion.. Then the soldiers performed a number of' hakas, interspersed with speeches. Shortly after 3 o'clock the •troops marched down to the station, in charge of Captain' Peacock. ■The Prime Minister telegraphed regretting that-in the extreme' pressure of Parliamentary business it was impossible for him to be present. Other apologies for' absence were -received from tho Hon. F. W: Lang (Speaker of the House of Representatives), Hons. W. H. Herries, A. M. Myers, W. D. S. Mac Donald, .and several other, members of Parliament. . - ; '

■In his speech the Mayor reminded itho men 'that they came of a fighting race, and that the pakeha well remem•bcred the fighting qualities of their warrior forefathers. _ The blood of ancient chivalry .flowed in their veins, and the. heroic aiv] noble deeds of their forefathers should inspire them. Proceeding, the Mayor observed that he regarded it as a good omen that the farewell was . bging extended to them under the shade of the statue of that great soldier and statesman, Sir George Grey, who was a patriot and lived for his-countryi. Ho understood, arid was therefore the constant friend of the Maori. And if lie wore there to-day his heart would beat with, pride at the sight of the sons of-his old warrior friends going, forth to strike a blow, for the Empire which lie loved so well:, Lieut.-C-olonel Hume - next addressed tho men, alluding to tho behaviour 'of tho.men ; sinco they had been in camp. Colonel Hume remarked that it had been exemplary. Probably no one. would moro feel the good-byo than.' CaptainPeacock, who at tho present time was riot sufficiently recovered to accompany tliem, hut he ,(t-ho speaker) hoped that before long the men would be joined by him, as ho naturally very much wishod. Brief speeches were also delivered >by Messrs.- J.-S'. Dickson,-M.P., A. E. Glover, M.P., C. H. Poole, M.P., and A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata-. The contingent left for Wellington by special.train at 4 o'clock. " ,