"SHOULD BE A GEM"

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 541, 26 May 1933, Page 5

"SHOULD BE A GEM"

LORD BLEDISLOE EXPRESSES WISH REGARDINO WAITANGI X MAORIS AND RUNANGA.■"I do hope that there will not be any way of spoiling the new runanga at Waitangi," said His Excellency, the Governor, Lord Bledisloe to a "Morning Post" representative yesterday morning when he was inspeet•ing the exhibit of the Maori Arts and * Crafts Sc'hool. Turnjng to Mr. H. Hamilton, the directoi4 df the school, His Excellency said, "if you are to have anything to do with this runanga, I want you to see that it is not disfigured. I think that it should be a perfect gem of Maori art and not contain any European ideas. Judging by the work you arq doing so well at Ohinemutu, I hope your school will have a very definite influence over the erection." Later in the morning, Lord Bled/isloe again stressed the hope that the l runanga would be typically Maori in design and architecture and hoped that it would be erected entirely by Mqori craftsmen and unddr the school's instruction. His Excellency j'paid a very high tribute to Mr. Hamilton saying that the work which he was doing was of the very greatest value to the Maori arts. He was doing .very valuable work indeed for the naiive race and there was a very great outlet for work of the des•cription done at the school. "If I could," said His Excellency, I "I should like to furnish a room at my house with Maori carving work such as Mr. Hamilton has shown us. There are hundreds of people at Home with money who would be only to glad to be able to get such speciinens as the school produced." Lord Bledisloe was deeply imprqssed with the huge carvings being • made for the Te Aute College Merpi orial Hall and also with the panels done for Otaki meeting house. He cpnsidered the work of the school' was one that should be more \videly known oyerseas than was at present tfie case.