MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 March 1939, Page 9

MAORI MEMORIES

PLAYING AT SOLDIERS. (Recorded by J.H.S. for “Times-Age.”) At the cabinet meetings (King s Whakatau) pakeha guests were sometimes invited as an act of courtesy. On one such occasion near midnight, in their absorbing interest, the Maori King’s “cabinet ministers” forgot the presence of these outsiders, and freely discussed important cabinet secrets. In the midst of such a revelation, Wi Karamoa jumped to his feet and exclaimed: “What fools we are to talk like that before the Pakehas are asleep!" After loud laughter all round they bid their guests good-night, and never again did they reveal state secrets of weakness.

These councils were less effective as a means of enforcing Maori law than tlie big local runanga (public meeting of each tribe). The King’s magistrates had no general power to enforce their judgments. Their power and their pay depended on their people, for the King's Treasury was exhausted in upholding State dignity.

Bodies of young men dressed, drilled and armed with old flintlock muskets in imitation of our Taranaki troops paraded the villages. They had learned our bugle calls, commands and manoeuvres.

Fach little company in turn formed a guard of honour to their King, but when it came to the turn of the Ngatihaua Tribe, Wiremu Tamihana scorned the proposal. He paraded his men and boys before the King’s Court with twelve learns and eight bullocks, each drawing a plough. Then they ploughed and planted 70 acres of potatoes as an object lesson to these militarists.