OTAKI NATIVE AT HOME

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 April 1916, Page 3

OTAKI NATIVE AT HOME

The iulloAving, taken irom an ii.ngiisli newspaper, will be read' with interest:— A short time ago a young man named. VViddiip, who had emigrated to -New Zealand trom Barrou loru, became acquainted with one el the Aborigines, and a friendship sprang up b.wc:;i tlie two young men. Tlie Maori, whose name s Thomas I'ohio,, is about. 25 years ol age, and is fairly ini,,!. gent. At the outbreak of war iie enlisted and came over with one ui the. early New Zealand contingents, and.in one ot the 'on I ties was wounded in tlie leg, and was for a time in hospital, andl ultimately got.to 'England. Wid<lup had urged Pohio to visit Banewford and wco his mother and relatives in the event of his (getting to J'JngJancl. So the Maori, not only paid a visit to Barrowford and Widdup'.s home and friends, .but lias actually made his home with \\ iddup's relatives for some time. In fact, he has made a rather lengthened visit to Barrowford, and has enjoyed it very much. Ho holds both the poo pie he has visited and the village and the district in great admiration. His parentis are people of means, being farmers. An incident of Pohio's visi't to Burnley in well worth relating. While" in tile busy town on thi. Brun, two men the worse for liquor (who is not the worse tor liquor. 1 ') began to abuse him by calling him names, "darkie," etc. He resented this abuse, ilJut still they persisted in the jib'use, so to prove that a least ho had the courage of a Britisher, he Jc»t go his right arm with is fist hard clenched, and 1 the two -boozers were soon sprawling at his, feet. A police man was quickly oh The spot, audi on enquiring about the affair he was promptly toild by the loyal Maori chat they had been abusing him, and lie had thus resented their abuse. "You've nerved them right," answered the sympathising iKiliceman. -i'ohio' then declared that he was a loyaJ Britisher, and He had come to fight fo rliis King and country. The Maoris, ho said, owed all to the Britishers. Three 'generations ago, said he, our people were cannibals. but now . they ore civilised and educated, and he felt it was their duty to fight for the country nnd the empire to which they were so •greatly indebted. Pojhio is a decent.. Well-behaved young man. He is very genial, and 'talks freely in pure English. ue can quote Shakespeare bettor than many who have been educated in British schools: and lie hns an affection for the country that would, shame miny who have ueen bred and horn in Britain.