OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1940, Page 4

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

MAORI EDUCATION

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l have read with interest the remarks of Mr F. C. Daniell as published in your paper of January 26. Although I do not agree with all Mr Daniell says I am more than pleased to know that one thinking person has taken this matter up. 1. myself, tried to create interest in this matter a few years ago, 1 think just before the chairman of this trust addressed meetings in the Wairarapa. In fact, I suspect that the chairman's visit was the outcome of the small interest then taken in the mater. Now, Sir, I agree with Mr Daniell that the scholarship proposal are not in the interests of the Maori race. Very few Maori scholars who have shown academic ability have derived much real benefit from their education. In view of this contention 1 consider that special schools, particularly secondary schools, should be established to educate this fine race of people in such a manner as to improve their outlook on life, and their way of living. Through these schools an attempt should be made to absorb the coming generation into trades and commerce.

I regret to admit that I do not know of one Maori tradesman, clerk, or shop girl in the Wairarapa. Yet it is claimed on behalf of these people that they are naturally good craftsmen and some I know are good workers. I quite agree with Mr Daniell that the Trust should either make an attempt to do justice to these people or hand over their trusteeship to some other trust or body that, will. Hoping that other and more able persons will give this matter the support it deserves.— I am. etc., G. SELBY. Masterton, January 30.

MAORI’S VIEWPOINT.

(To the Editor.)

Sir. —I noticed in the "Times-Age” of January 26 a statement by Mr F. C. Daniell urging a protest by district residents of the Wairarapa against the administration of the Anglican Trust Board.

I wish emphatically to deny those statements. I want to be fair to my friend, Mr F. C. Daniell, and also the Mayor of Masterton, Mr T. Jordan. 1 have been actively concerned in the matter. At Papawai, Greytown, on August 31, 1937, I moved and was supported by the late Raharuhi Matiaha and Inia Heketa Manihera, before his Lordship, the Bishop of Wellington, the Rev Canon Williams, of Napier, and the members of the Trust Board of Wairararapa, Mr G. H. Perry and the Rev P. Patihana, that the meeting should be

adjourned to a further sitting at Te Ore Ore. The meeting granted my request. Then I received a letter from the Rev Mr Williams stating that they had decided to hold the meeting at Te Ore Ore on September 19, 1937, if that date would be suitable. I interviewed Mrs Arapata Himona, of Te Ore Ore, and her father, Tutohe Ngarangi Mikaera, well known in Masterton as "Old Aug-

ust,” explaining to them my desire for asking that the meeting at Papawai should be adjourned to Te Ore Ore. They approved of it. In my letter in reply to the Rev Mr Williams I approved the date of the meeting. At that meeting, which was held in front of the courtyard of the now faded Nga-Tau-e-Waru meeting house, I think 1 would be quite safe in

saying this, that the majority of the Wairarapa people were' present, except those from Homewood. Present at that meeting were the Rev Mr Williams. Mr

G. H. Perry, the Rev P. Patihana. and another Minister from Wanganui. The representatives of the Maori race were: Messrs G. Te Whaiti (Greytown), P. Andrew (Gladstone), T. T. Haeata (Lansdowne pa), T. Karaitiana (Akura pa). P. K. Ngatuere (Hastwell), and myself (of Hastwell). and also Rewi Tamihana (Te Ore Ore), Toka Potangaroa (also of Te Ore Ore) and Mrs Arapata Himona and Mrs E. Boyd (Grey town. It was at that meeting that my proposals were unanimously approved b> the 'representatives of the Maori race present to present to Mr Perry and the Rev Mr Williams a request for the interpretation, of the worcis in the deed of gift to the Anglican Church for the Kaikokirikiri and Papawai Trust in order that the beneficiaries would be able to understand whether they had

a right to participate in any ’ way in utilising the funds of this endowment land or as to whether it was a gift to the Trust Board by deed of gift, absolutely. In the evening, inside Nga-Tau-e-Waru meeting house, after supper, the Rev Mr Williams notified those present that he had in the meantime discussed the matter with Mr Perry and had decided to place the matter in the hands of the Anglican Church solicitor, Wellington, for an opinion. The finding of the solicitor would be forwarded by letter to Mr G. Te Whaiti (Greytown), but this decision did not come forward until I was notified by letter by the Rev Mr Williams that a conference was to be held in Wellington on April 6. 1938. at which he requested me

to be present. My hopes then rose that a settlement would be satisfactorily arrived at at that meeting. To my surprise we were going over the whole matter again. What was more surprising to me then was that Messrs Pita Paku, Te Whaiti, Mrs Boyd, Mrs Himona and several others presented me with a list, in fact a petition to the conference.

to be presented by me for the people of Wairarapa to the total number of 200. 1 declined to take up the matter. Straight away I realised that these people did not want me to have anything to do with this matter, which

I brought from Papawai to Te Ore Orc. Now they selected Mr Peter Paku to be their spokesman. 1 left

the meeting at half past three for my home. Later. Rewi Tamihana, now nextdoor neighbour to me, told me in Hastwell that he had in his possession a list of names of Wairarapa people numbering 700. supporting him with a petition to Parliament for confiscated Native land and also including this Kaikokirikiri and Papawai “muddle up.” as he calls it. IL and his associate had placed the matter in Mr F. C. Daniell’s hands on behalf of the Wairarapa people, protesting against lhe administration of lhe Trust Board. The Trust Board I am mostly in favour of and Mr Perry knows that, and the Rev Mr Williams. In accordance with the wording of the deed of gift, as 1 understand a gift, it is a gift absolutely to lhe inhabitants of the Island and that is all there is about it.

I happen to be one of those old ancestors' offspring who could say a little bit about the past and I think

I’ll be quite safe in including the name of my friend. Mr Charles Bannister. I think he could remember this. In the eighties and nineties there was a Maori school in Te Ore Ore Pa and another one in Papawai Pa on the property now occupied by Mr Tilson. A pupil of that school of the Maoris was sent on from Wairarapa to Te Ante College and he finished up as a first-grade Native interpreter in the Native Department and also an interpreter in the House of Representatives. As for the two pupils from the Te Ore Ore School. Miss Piki Manihera and Emere Mita Anaru. both of Te Ore Ore, they were both sent from Wairarapa to Hukarere Girls’ College, Napier. I am just going to leave my claim, asking the people who forgot me, that perhaps it would be fair to me to say on their behalf, that they should review this matter very earnestly in order that we shall be able to bring about a better understanding for the benefit of our coming generations. I may have a bit more to say about this. In the meantime I’ll leave it as it is, as well as our meeting at Te Ore Ore on September 19, 1938. when Sir Apirana Ngata was present. —I am. etc., K. W. R. TAM ATE A. Hast wells, January 29, 1940.