MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1938, Page 7

MAORI MEMORIES

THE CLEAN SHIRTS. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) The turbulent General Assembly opened its second session oh August 31, 1855. During the recess four wellknown members became responsible ministers by unanimous consent of the Executive. Their selection by deliberate choice in the peaceful atmosphere of recess, rather than under the stress of political strife, was clearly demonstrated by the fact that each name has attained a place in New Zealand history. They were Forsaith (Auckland), Jerningham Wakefield (Canterbury), Travers (Nelson) and McAndrews (Otago). Under the strong but commercialised secret influence of Gibbon Wakefield, His Excellency was induced to read an address, under which several revolutionary and illegal political schemes were proposed. A vote of no-confid-ence in the Government was carried by 22 to 11, and the -Ministers forthwith resigned. They were at once christened by the Maoris, “Kakahu horoi ma” (clean washed shirts), not, as alleged, because of their brief reign, but from the fact that the Hon Mr Forsaith announced gravely in his ministerial address that, on being summoned from his shop to the Governor’s presence, “he had hurriedly put on a clean shirt.” The Maori sense of humour seized upon this opportunity to burlesque the quaint episode on many occasions. The records of those days attributed the fall of the Fitzgerald Ministry to their failure to fulfil a promise to pass a pensions bill for old civil servants on retirement. The then secret history of the fall of the Forsaith Government said “it was due to the Machiavellian schemes of the Attorney-General Swainson, the Governor’s confidential adviser.” This and the Sewell Mackay incident gave the Maori mimicry and the London “Punch” great scope for wit.