TE WHITI'S TANGI.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8985, 21 November 1907, Page 5

TE WHITI'S TANGI.

FAILURE AS A PROPHET. SUCCESSOR TO TE WHITI. STORED TREASURE. By Telegraph—Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Nov. 20. The Te Whiti tangi is now proceeding on a huge scale and promises to be the most magnificent of the kind the present generation has witin this province. Natives are now flocking in, and the funeral has been arranged for Friday at noon. According to the Maori rims', the body is now lying in state surrounded by emblems and rare mats and meres, and Maori women are carrying out the tangi in a truly impres sive manner. Everywhere the demonstrations of great grief are renewed from time to time as visitors arrive, the sights being worth going miles to see. The failure of the prophet's prophesies are said to be a blow to the Maori beliefs, and some remarkable denunciations of Te Whiti are to be made bj orators. It was not generally known till now that Te Whiti was the sole owner of the Parihaka block, and the land now becomes the property of his children.

A great mass meeting was held on Monday night to consider the appointment of a successor to Te Whiti. The feeling was strongly in favour of Charlie Waitara, the deceased's son-in-law, a very wealthy man. Te Whiti's son is not tolerated as a leader, and Charlie Waitara has been asked and has consented to continue to manage affairs as head man of the settlement. He will not occupy Te Whiti's place as a propb t, with which the natives have now done for ever. Should young Te Whiti assert his rights as owner, trouble may ensue. A very noticeable thing is the friendly manner in which Te Whiti's and Toh'u's followers are fraternising. The two factions are now perfectly reconciled, and have buried past differences in the grief which is absorbing them. It has been decided by the natives that the meetings held on the 17th of each month should be discontinued, thus ending the monthly pilgrimage. Supplies of food are now pouring into Parihaka, but no liquor. Nothing definite is known as to the treasure stated to be stored in the settlement, although it is generally understood that about £25,000 in gold may now materialise, and its distribution may see an interesting development.