MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 November 1940, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

A MAORI MAGISTRATE. «i (Recorded by J.H.S.. of Palmerston North, for the “Times-Age.”) Our “assessors" lacked knowledge of Maori land laws and had no jurisdiction in cases where the amount was valued at more than £2O. Several Maori chiefs were appointed to assist the white assessors, but they had no knowledge of our laws or language. Unless both sides agreed the the points at issue remained in abeyance and nothing was done. The main point of our failure did not lay in contriving, but in executing. One of our historians a century ago, referring to New Zealand, said: "Our government of the Maori has uniformly broken down because, like Shilpi, the Builder, we regard the tongue as a constructor rather than a commentator.” One incident will serve to illustrate the mannex- in which Heteraka Nera, a self-appointed “magistrate,” held an illegal but perfectly formal Court at Raglan where he sentenced a Maori of-

fender to pay £5 and £1 costs. After waiting three yeai’s for payment, Heteraka knocked the offendex- down and took from his trousers pocket the fine and costs of hearing. Pocketing the £1 he sent the fine to the Treasury at Wellington with a letter describing the, manner in which his “judgment had been executed, and asking that printed forms of summons should be sent him for future use. As the Magistrate mentioned in Heteraka’s story had little or no knowledge of the Maori language, no further action could be taken. Under the Treaty of Waitangi, the Government became the sole purchas-* ex - of Maori land for which the demand > soon multiplied the original sale values by five. Observing this, the Maoris decided that they had been unjustly treated, and wax- followed not only with us, but against other sellingtribes. ,