HOW THE MAORIS FRUSTRATED THE DOG TAX.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 18 July 1901, Page 4

HOW THE MAORIS FRUSTRATED THE DOG TAX.

A Government steamer full of armed constabulary was (writes Mr James Grove) sent to Chatham Islands to enforce lire dog tax. The Maoris refused to pay it. A considerable number were arrested and putin (he gaol. A difficulty now arose about feeding them. The landlord of the Waitangi Hotel was approached on the subject, and was asked to give a price for prison rations. He refused to have anything to do with the matter, and told the person in authority to get a cook and manage it themselves. The police were importunate, and kept pressing him for a tender. This lie would not give, saying he would have nothing to do with prison rations, and that if he fed the men at all lie should feed them the same as any one else that came to his house, should give them three square meals a day, and should charge one shilling per head per meal. These terras were at length agreed to. The Maoris had stretchers and ma tresses and blankets provided for them in the prison, and they went to sleep and went to the hotel to eat and drink, and between meals played quoits and enjoyed themselves as they pleas id. They were never so well off before, and there was no need to lock them in, for it was the last of their thoughts to run away. This lasted for some considerable time. The police soon saw the whole thing was a fiasco, but they had to await orders from New Zealand as to what should be done. When these orders came the

Maoris were told that they would have to go home, as there would be no more meals or lodging provided for them. This attempt to enforce the dog tax cost, I was told, one way and another, more than £3OO.