SOME FIGHT.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1925, Page 4

SOME FIGHT.

; .MAORIS OUST PAKEIIA

THE POLICE ACT AS REFEREES,

[BT TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION HAWEKA, Feb. iV. The sounds of rending timber as the walls of a dwelling were being pulled down by a body of lusty Maoris to the accompanying shouts of the occupants and those engaged in the work of destruction lent colour to the atmosphere of tense excitement which prevailed at Ohawe beach yesterday afternoon. The extraordinary scene was the cutcome of a long existing i'ucd between a section of the natives and the pakelut over the rights of occupancy of certain native land where a pakeha had bruit bis home some time ago. The natives gave the occupants notice to quit, but this was disregarded and so the natives then gave them nutii e of a more forcible method, subsequently carrying this into effect by removing tire corrugated iron from the roof. The occupants were then giren further notice to quit, failing, which the Maoris would pull iht luuise down. Yesterday afternoon the natives gathered to carry their plans into effect. The police had been sent lor, the natives providing a taxi tor this purpose and their arrival was the signal foi tho commencement of operations, tin

police sergeant making it clear tnat they were there to see that there was no breach of the peace and not to go into the merits of the dispute. . Armed with crowbars about lo Maoris approached the building in an orderly column, but they were halted by a solid array of the pakeha and his friends who" advanced with hay forks which went perilously close to the middle regions of the dusky attackers. Ihe net result of this attack was that ionic battens were wrenched off. Jhe ardour of the natives opposed began to cool off, and there was a delay in the proceedings while a verbal battle was tak-

ing place. . . The second attack, loci by a whitehaired veteran, was pushed home, the natives succeeding in pulling down one side of the building, the hoards lining carried off by the natives who orderly attacked. I The melee continued lor about -i minutes with wrestling, talk of fight and a few sly blows which got borne. | The police frequently had to interfere. . , . Apart from a split lip, sundry cruise: on limbs, none of the contestants won injured. When the interior of the house line been laid bare the natives quietly with drew.