MAORI MEMORIES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1938, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES.

FOR GAIN. (Recorded by “J.H.S.” for “Times-Age”) From 1839 onward the British people forgot their failure of 1825 to colonise New Zealand, after which the answer to every question on the subject was “Who wants to be eaten by cannibals?” In 1838 a Bill was placed before the House of Commons by Mr Baring and others to form a Provincial Government in New Zealand for British immigrants, but it was described by Lord Howick and others as “a monstrous money-maker” and was defeated. A deputation then waited on the Duke of Wellington and Mr Dandeson Coates, Secretary of the Missionary Society, who, like the missionaries, opposed the proposal as one for personal gain. The grounds of their objection proved to be literally true. They said the Maori would melt away before the white’s, that though these colonisers professed Christian principles, they would take their land for mere baubles, and that the history of savage and civilised men in contact was written in blood. Another objection was that “the notorious” Gibbon Wakefield was to be the manager. This epithet referred to his prosecution for the abduction of the gay Miss Turner. The missionary scheme of redeeming the cannibals was a worthy but hopeless attempt to perform a modern miracle. Then came the New Zealand Company with a capital of £lOO,OOO. Many titled men and M.'sP. were among the promoters, whose fame at least in name, remain in our towns or streets such as Baring, Buckle, Boulcott, El-

lice, Hutt, Molesworth, Pirie, Willis, Lyall, etc. Knowing the opposition of the British Government, they sent the ship “Tory” on a secret voyage, one disguise being that they were to report upon the unique bird and plant life of this strange country. The party were to purchase land, obtain information, and form a Republic under some fictitious native chief.