TRIBAL WARFARE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 291, 3 August 1932, Page 4

TRIBAL WARFARE

WORDY DIFFERENCES DURING I WELCOME TO LEAGUE J FOOTBALLERS 1 What was intended to be a forraall tribal welcome to the British Leaguel footballers at Wh'akarewaiDwa de- j generated into noisy verbal tribal ■ warfare, much to the amusement of 1 the visitors, who although they did 9 not understand the language used, ■ arrived at a very correct idea of what I was meant. S Primarily the strif e arose as it ua ually does, over who should get thea "perks." There, are as is generaliya known, two rival hapus in- Whaha-H rewarewa, who vie with one anothera in obtaining the fees for guiding part*a ies around the sights. a In this particular instance, faction considered that the BrifiH footballers were their exclusive PW'B perty, and made arrangements give them a full eeremonial welco®H on the marae. However, in the mean-B time, the rival faction led by i®M of tlie guides who had piloted soffiJB members of the British League teasB on a previous visit to Rotorua, P'l in first, and after tendering the j itors an informal welcome, hoohwB i them up to do the sights at Whahs-B rewarewa. . fl This came to the ears of number one, who became very vu'aftM and although their chief spokesffi^B had already arrayed himself in mats, and had rehearsed his spa®M the fiat went forth that the^j® come was most emphatically When the visitors arrived in chars™ of the guides of the second facWM they found the meeting house whereupon, after excited conYeI jP tion, a Maori stepped into the hreaCW and commenced a speeeh of welco®* Spokesman AbusedL In the meantime, word of this V pening had come to the opposl :'V faction, and they arrived at the to tell the spokesman precisely ■ they thought of him in fluent M ■ Fortunately, the members ® jB British football team saw the . ous side of the whole situatiofy as one said, reverting to his Wj* country, it reminded him of tff° of Grimshy fishwives passing K tiine of day. . - & However, the faction which * been first on the scene, duly H. ed ths visitors around the sigh which they expressed tlieinselve tremely pleased. . .ift In the evening, it had been W to entertain the visitors to a * concert at Whakarewarewa, bn * they got there, like Mother they found the cuphoard bare- J* However, their guides, conns » and friends hastily assemh e » concert party and taking the v to a private house, entertain8 M with a fine display of hakas a dances. r»f' It is understood that the f actions have now composed t . f erences, and all is peace Wi 1 kainga. - - V