THE WAIKATOS AND THE WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 2 December 1916, Page 2

THE WAIKATOS AND THE WAR.

TREATY OF WAITANGI QUOTED. BACKED COMPACT BETWEEN MAORIS The chiefs of the Wafkato tribes have som c difficulty apparently in arriving at a conclusion satisfactory to the' recruiting authorities regarding the enlistment of their young men. In the course of a. talk on the subject Tama Kane, a member of the committee appointed to deal with the situation, declared that before an answer could be given to the Minister, the committee ■would first have to arrive at a decision -which would have to be submitted to King Rata and another meeting would be arranged to settle the matter. He added that Section 3 of the Treaty of Waitangi provided only for Maoris helping the pakehas in the event of New Zealand being invaded by an enemy and consequently it was not compulsory for them to go out of the country to assist the pakeha. The late. Tawhaia, Rata's grandfather, acting on behalf of the Maori race at Alexandria in 1881, handed to Major Mair 70 rifles, which he requested should be taken back to England, and the Maori race would fight no more More important than this circumstance, however, was a certain treaty which existed between the Maoris themselves, and while he 'was proud to be a Britisher,, and respected the conditions of the Treaty of Waitangi, he was more influenced by their own secret treaty. That was why they could not tell the boys to go. Ho further suggested that there should be two laws in the land —one of the pakeha and one for the Maori. He asked this question particularly with regard to the same of liquor, in respect of which the law dealt harshly with the Maori, while Chinese and Austrians were given a free hand. He made it clear that at the meeting at the pa, Dr Pomare and Mr, Tau Honare. M'S.P., favoured sending the boys forward. When reminded of the Defence Minister's power to call up Maoris in the event of their not going voluntarily, he replied: "Let them take their chance.''