CLIPPINGS FROM "THE CHRONICLE."

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 675, 30 October 1933, Page 7

CLIPPINGS FROM "THE CHRONICLE."

June 5, 1897. — »]\fahutu, the Maori King, will next week make a royal progress in the direction of Mamaku, arriving there about the 10th. A great mceting of natives will then take place. June 5, 1897. — lAn unseemly fracas ■between certain natives occurred at Tame Te Kapua on Thursday night which will, it is understood, engage the attention of Lieut. Col. Roib.rts on his next visit. The casus belli was the hust of Our Gracious Majesty and the Town Board's intention to rejuvenate the same. In the course of the next few wieks a start will be made with the erection of the offices of the Rotorua Road District in Haupapa Street. The building will comprise five rooms and will be a decided advance on the somewhat restricted quarters which -Mr. Reaney and his staff have at present to put up with. Tenders for material, etc., will be called for locally and in Auckland. June 5, 1897. — iA little incident occurred at the speoial meeting of the Town Board on Saturday last which has raised within our breast the grave'st fears as to the loyalty of some of the members of our local governing body. Mr. Dansey referred to the disreputable condition in which the bust of Her Majesty situated in Tama Te Kapua had fallen. He thought that next to the erection of a brand new statue the restoration of the present one, which presents the lineaments of our revered Queen in all her girlhood's beauty, would he an appropriate recognition of her long and beneficent reign. He did not think the Government auditor would question, say, the sum of 10s spent in this way — for the Queens' eountenance was getting very black indeed. Mr. Brent was afraid that there would ihe a difficulty in getting' a painter equal to the occasion. Her sceptre had to he tipped with gold — and as to her getting black— why, the natives probably preferred a queen of their own colour. Dr. Ginders smiled benignly at this, but the hajr of the town clerk (who is loyal right from skull to hoots) stood on end, and the reporter, whose attachment to the throne is quite phenomenal, wiped his spectacles hastily for he was moved almost unto tears. At this juncture the chairman came to the reseue and said that as Her Majesty was originally white it would be as well to restore her to her pristine colour and as Mr. John Hall had painted the pound signboard with much artistic skill it would he well to leave the matter in his hands on the understanding that he would not be too lavish' with the gold paint. Thus was the matter settled and it was afterwards remarked that the expenditure of 10s was justified as it would yield a new Sovereign.