OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1915, Page 3

OBITUARY.

A MAORI NOTABLE. (Hawera Star.) Raumati Pomakariri died at his residence, Whenuakura, on Wednesday last, aged about 70 years. He was a descendant from the Aotea canoe Maoris on one side and from Taikelm's people, the original inhabitants of Patea, on the other. Though essentially an old Maori in his ideas,, he was nevertheless a man of remarkable ability, and, though an indistinct speaker, there were few as eloquent as he. His knowledge of Maori lore was very considerable, and he was looked upon as one of the few remaining authorities in such matters, while he, perhaps, had no equal amojig the Maori people in his knowledge of scripture. About thirty years ago he headed a movement to bring the Maoris of the coast into closer touch witli European law. He did this in his own way, using religious teaching as one of the planks of his platform, at the same time clearly showing that the well-being of the Maoris was contingent upon their becoming in every respect British subjects, lie largely promoted the building of the first church at Hukatere, near Patea, and participated in the invitation of the Rev. T. O. Hammond to take up his permanent residence on the coast as minister to the Maoris. A few years ago he wrote a characteristic letter to King Edward VII, congratulating him on his accession to the throne, and urging him to take the same interest and extend the same protection to the Maori people as his mother had ever afforded them. The King was pleased to acknowledge the letter through the Governor, Lord PTunket. Latterly, through ill-health, Raumati had lived a very retired life, but when the present war broke out, he urged, in a fiery old-time speech, the young men to join the ranks and fight for their Empire, saying: "Go and die for the King jnd country. Strike something new. Better to die for your country than to grow up and die upon the soil where you were born."