WAIKATO PRINCESS RECEIVED BY MAYOR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 315, 28 March 1928, Page 18

WAIKATO PRINCESS RECEIVED BY MAYOR

INVITED TO NGARUAWAHIA The Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, has been officially invited to visit the model pa of Prince ss Te Puea Herangi at Ngaruawahia on the occasion of the visit by his Excellency the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, next month. THE invitation was conveyed by the princess when .the called upon the Mayor and town clerk, Mr. J. H. Brigham, yesterday morning. The Waikato chieftain ess was introduced by Mr. George Graham, the well-known authority on Maori affairs. The princess spoke of her regret that owipg to unforseen circumstances it would not be possible for her troupe of Maori performers to give an entertainment in aid of the Auckland unemployed during her present visit, but she promised that if circumstances permitted it might be possible to arrange this at a later date. -NOBLE WORK” The Mayor expressed his great pleasure at a courtesy call from the chieftainess, declaring: “We are all aware of the splendid work you r-e performing on behalf of your people, and I wish you every success in the noble undertaking you have in view.” The object of Te Puea’s visit to Auckland is to raise funds for a hostelhospital, which she proposes establishing at Ngaruawahia, and she has already established one at Tuakau which serves for a section of her Waikato people.

Princess Te Puea is a direct descendant of the Maori Kings, Potatau and Tawhiao. The present king, Te Rata Mahuta is her cousin. Ho great, however, is her prestige among the natives, that Te Puea is acknowledged as the political as well as the rocia! head of Waikato.