MAORI ELECTION HOPES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1047, 11 August 1930, Page 1

MAORI ELECTION HOPES

REV_ ROBERT HADDON IS STILL IN CONTEST OTHER CANDIDATES LIKELY Special to THE SUN NEW PLYMOUTH. Today. Though there was some speculation among the electors of the Western Maori seat on the probability of the Rev. Robert Tahti Potiki Haddon remaining as a candidate, following liis silence when other nominees addressed the conference at Waalii Pa, JTuntly, Air. Iladdon now affirms his intention to contest the seat. The candidates for the vacancy in the House of Representatives caused by the death of Sir Maui Pom are now appear to be A. If. te Mete, of Tauranga; Taite te Tomo, of Taupo; Tumate Mahuta, of ITuntly; P. te 11. Jones, of Te Kuiti; and Mr. Iladdon. of New Plymouth. Other names are being mentioned, and one of these in the gossip general among the tribes of Taranaki and Wanganui is Mr. R. Wakarua, of the Nga-Rauru tribe. Mr. Wakarua is a member of the Maori Welfare Board. There seems to be reason for the belief that the natives of the Katana movement, with headquarters near Wanganui, favour the candidature of Mr. Te Mete, who is known as a Katana supporter. Taranaki is interested in Mr. Te Mete’s nomination, too. The natives here realise the justification for Mr. Te Mete’s reference to the unity among the Tauranga, Waikato and Taranaki districts during the wars with the British. Waikato has had Mr. Henare Kaihau as a representative of the three districts in Parliament; Taranaki has had Sir Maui Pomare; and Tauranga is now advancing Mr. Te Mete as the representative of the allied districts, in accordance with an agreement reached by Maori elders in former years. It is not known which party will receive Mr. Hadden’s support, but Taite te Tomo lias announced bis intention to stand as a Reform Party candidate. It is claimed for Air. Te Tomo that Sir Maui Pomare favoured his succession to Parliament. In accordance with Maori etiquette, the candidates arc not likely to begin active electioneering until after the funeral of Sir Maui. The ashes will reach Wellington from the United States at the end of this month. This delay may cause changes in the ranks of the contestants, and any radical alterations will not cause much surprise. The Taranaki attitude toward the suggested fusion of Waikato King and Katana interests is hard to define. Should the amalgamation come about, it seems certain that the candidate supported by those sections of the Maori race would be elected to Parliament. ....