Native News.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1577, 9 December 1885, Page 2

Native News.

UTOKOWARU AT PATEA.

Respecting the visit to Pates of Titokownrti we have received a description of Ips doings trom another correspondent, but as we have uot room for the whole of his letter we content ourselves with extracting comments therefrom. He says : — " There is not much ceremony about a Maori at any time, and these large gatherings do not improve them for they take possession of . all the empty houses m the place without asking leave, and do not bother to clean. them out, when they have done with them. It is a pity they do not hare their meetings at their pahs, for it is enough to breed a fever having «o many of them m a town this hotweadier. The feast must have cost several hundreds of pounds, but besides a few storekeepers and bakers no one is benefited, while the Maoris are left withont a penny and their rents mortgaged for the next six months. Ido not see how this is to be prevented, as' people have a right to spend their money any way they like ; hut m the meantime these meetings are bad for the Maoris, and, I believe, will [ eventually cause the Government I good deal of trouble. At a meeting held m (he WVsleyan Church, about 40 donned the " blue,*' but this did not affect the rest, as four hogsheads of bter were .consumed. Speeches of welcome were delivered by Taurna and the Ngaranra chiefs, which were replied toby Bering*. Te Wetere, of Ngatimaniapoto, and . others, but no reference was made m them as to the object of these oft-recur-ring meetings. As some of your readers would doubtless like to know why these meetings are being held all along this const, I will simply state what I can guDwr from the natives as to their object. The main object is the return to them of the whole of the confiscated land on this. coast betwoen Waitotara and Pongarehu. This, Te Wniti tells them, will come to pass, if they have faith enough, aud implicitly obey all his instructions, which are similar to those of Joshua to the Children of Israel before the walls of Jericho. The Jericho m this instance is the confiscated land, and the wails are the Constabulary. They say.— " The walls are falling m everywhere.; the troops nave had to leave Purigarehu and most of the other stations on the coast through the power of Te Whiti, aud soon we will have nothing else to do but to go up and possess the land." But * if they should hapnen to be an " Achan m the camp," viz, ono who will tak« the' rent for the Waiimte Plains leases, the . whole may miscarry and they will fall before the augorof the Almighty, hot woo betide the Achau if they find him out. — Herald-.