HOUSES AT PARIHAKA.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1920, Page 3

HOUSES AT PARIHAKA.

PROPOSED PURCHASE FROM NATIVES. SENTIMENT ~E USINESS. A. movement sot on foot to secure t>y purchase the whole of the European built houses on the Parihaka block witM the i<iea of assisting soldier-settlers in that district, culminated in a meeting held on Saturday between the native' trustees and some leading citizens of New Plymouth. Originally the village of Parihaka was vested in the chiefs, Te Whiti and Tohu. About live years ago however Judge .Tack held a Court there, and ten trustees were appointed to administer the village and a small area of surrounding land. Rates having accumulated to a considerable sum the trustees were approached by Mr. W .1. Gray, who was thus the originator of the proposal, with the suggestion that they should sell the vacant houses, numbering about 52. At the meeting there were assembled the trustees and the following New Plymouth gentlemen interested in the proposal: The Mayor (Mr. ,Tas. Clarke), the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. G. H. Bullard), Messrs. A. J, Chainey, A. S. Allen, H. Davies, W. H. Skinner, and l& W. Shaw. Mr. G>ay presided and ! addressed the natives at length in | Maori, a general discussion ensuing ' among them. Included in the speakers were Willie Te Whiti and Rangi Tohu, sons. of the well-known chiefs of the same name. At the conclusion of the debate Mr. Gray announced to those present the views which the natives had expressed. The trustees, he said, felt that it would be good business for them to dispose of the houses, but tliTe was that sentiment among them arising out of the past, a love of the surroundings and of their old leaders which bound them to the settlement and they did not wish to part with the houses. Thoy also felt that if they consented to dispose of the houses they would be lowering their dignity and/this, while not perhaps easily understandable to the European mind, was an important subject in the decision of the Maori. As far as the sale was concerned they would have been agreeable as a matter of business and as a step in the interests of the soldiers' settlement, but the hearts of the na- . fives were bound up with the traditions I of the' place. Mr. Cray said personally he had had hopes of bringing off the purchase. Through the interpreter (Mr. Gray) 1 the Mayor, on . behalf of the citizens | thanked the trustees who had turn.d up to discuss the matter. Whilst he un- ! derstood the sentiment which prevented ' them disposing of the unused residences, he was sorry that it was so as the cost , of building material at present was I very high. It had been hoped to relieve the burden of the soldiers through the purchase of these houses as it would have proved much cheaper than building. The pakeha himself was not without sentiment, however, as the recent war had shown him ready to defend his home at any price, and no offence was taken in this instance because the sentiment of the Maori was greater than his business instincts. His Worship thanked them for the interest shown in the piocemlings. On behalf of the returned soldiers Lieut.-Colonol Weston expressed thanks to Mr. Gray and to the trustees for the efforts made to give ell'ect to the suggestion. He realised, however, as had been remarked by the Mayor, their respect for 11 u> traditions of'the past prevented them carrying out the scheme. It was pleasing to note that the soldiers' settlement was to be known by the name of Parihaka and that some day, when pakeha and native had turned the unproductive soil into cultivated land and smiling farms, it would still bear the name of their old settlement. Mr. Skinner said all the trustees were personal friends of his and he had also known their fathers. On the matter of sentiment they could not fall in with the proposal, and being of native descent he could well understand what was in their minds. Before concluding, Mr. Gray remarked that although the conference had not been successful in attaining its object it would enlighten the natives, with the re- ] suit that the matter might be discussed iu the future with a probability of a change of feeling on the scheme.