OHINEMURI.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2883, 13 May 1878, Page 2

OHINEMURI.

(feom a cobbbespondent.)

Paeroa, Saturday.

I advised you before of the arrival here of Captain Fraser, 8.M., Mr E. W. Puckey, Mr Alexander Brodie, County Chairman, Mr Aitkeu, County Engineer, and others. The County authorities had arranged to have a meeting with the Natives at the Puke, but owing to some misunderstanding on arrival they found

the Natives at the Paeroa Wharf. This was on Wednesday afternoon, and a good number of Natives had assembled, ia front of the Criterion Hotel. The Natives brought up several complaints about road works in other parts of the district.

Thft County Chairman said he had come there for one purpose—to talk about the Puke-Paeroa road, and would discuss the other matters afterwards. He informed them that Mr Sheehan, the Native Minis ter, had given him authority to makj roads over Native Lands, and he had come up to exercise that authority. He wished Tinipoaki to tell Tukukino that he was not going to interfere at present in the Komata road dispute, as he had agreed to laave that until the arrangement between himself and Mr Sheehau had been carried out. He was going to start the Puke-Paeroa road at once, and the Natives who wished employment should be there in the morning prepared to begin. linipoaki said Tukukino would come up and prevent the men from making the road, and asked what they would do if he did so. ' The County Chairman " dissembled." If Tukukino came up he would see what they would do. * "v ,

Kehitoto (a female) said she wanted the road made through her land. Since her father died Tukukino had been claiming some interest in the land, which he did not dare do when her father was alive. Whikiriwi said Tukukino had no right to interfere with them. Let him mind his own business at the Komata. He I had enough trouble of his own without causing trouble amongst them. He (Whikhiwi) and his people were prepared to make the road. Pereneki wanted the road made, and to supervise the work of making over his own lend. Some questions were then put by Kereittenta and others as to what was going to be done about the Paeroa and Mackaytown road, and were answered in effect that the matter would be arranged when the other work had been started.

On Thursday morning about 30 natives assembled armed with spades, fera hooks, &c, and just as they were about starting work Tukakiao and his followers arrived on horseback from ELomatu. He had a very fine carved mere in his hand, said to have been obtained at Taupo in a fight, and Hohepa was also armed with a whale* bone mere.

Tukukiuo said he had come to address the Natives who wanted to start the road works; he didn't wish to speak to the pakehas at all. He called upon .the natives by the authority he held in his hand (the mere) to desist from the work. He addressed the people as his sheep, and conjured them to' " return to their tents.''He asked his enemies to stand up so that he might know who they were. AH the other chiefs outside Tukukino's crowd blamed.him for bringing trouble amongst them, and Bihitoto laid that Tukukino and his people were the first to introduce the reihana system, inasmuch as he had taken reihana over the Waikawau block, which did not belong to him. She wanted to know what land on the Puke-Paeroa road he claimed an interest in.

Tukukino said he was a co-claimant with her in all the land she claimed, as he was a relative of hers.

The Maoris showed a reluctance to go on with the work, so a council of war was called, and after consultation between the County Chairman and County Engineer, Councillor Mitchell and Messrs Fraser arid Puckey, it was agreed that the natives should be informed that if they did not go on with the work, white men would be brought in from the different districts and put on to work at once, and assistance would be rendered to them.

The party then •proceeded to the road, the Natives following, Tukukino and his people in the rear. Mr Aitken took up the old line from the Normaaby Road and commenced laying it off, and the Natives began the work of clearing, while the other Europeans kept Tukukino in talk. After a little time Tukukino dismounted prd went amongst the native people, flourishing his mere and calling . upcn them to desist. This lasted foi* about hr?lf an hour, but the natives disregarded his entreaties, and be never once laid a hand upon one of them, so that no viofence was done, and the pakebds wore very pleased to see that the old man's influence was so small! He seemed to feel it, and shortly after went away home, aiid the work proceeded all rigL , Messrs Aitken and Mitchell frying off the road for some distance, the. work cf clearing and forming being carried on by the Maoris.

On the same day the County authorities and Mr Pucke.y met Eerementa, representative of Herewa Te Moananui, who desired to resume work on the Faeroa Mackaytown road. The County Chairman informed him that he had been over the road made by him and his people, and he was not satisfied with the amount of work done for the money expended. He made every allowance for their being new to the work, but hoped that if the road was again started they would get on better in the future. Some Pakehas had been writing in the newspapers about them, and it wasn't very pleasant for members of the County Council to see such statements made.

Kerementa said they had got hold of "that newspaper fellow" and told him the statements he had made were untrue. Whan the .. Ohinemuri Maoris had experience they would be quite as good as the white men.

It was agreed that they should start ten men on the work under a pakeha who could instruct them properly, and when they had got the ezperienbe the ten Maoris said they would challenge ten Europeans to work against them, and the party that did the most work in a given time should hare a prize. Kerementa and party started the work next morning. Word was sent out to Waihi that the County, Chairman wishe# to see them regarding the Katikati 4b3p. They came in next day, with the exception of Te Kepa, who was detained, but sent a letter objecting' to the road until the promised reserve had been made. It was arranged that work should be started next morning, as the matter of the reserve bad been looked into. The deviation of the new roid will shorten the journey to Katikati by about 12 or 13 miles, the County having decided to adopt Turner's Hoe.

The agitation re separation from the ■"Thames County has collapsed, every one here being pleased at the energy of the County in carrying out necessary works and consulting the wishes of settlers.

One of the reasons why a side-saddle resembles a four quart jug is because it holds a gal on. .