MAORI MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 November 1940, Page 2

MAORI MEMORIES

REFORM THE MAORI. (Recorded by J.H.S., o£ Palmerston North, for the “Times-Age.”) The Maori chiefs, Rewi Manaiapoto, Tamihana, and other leaders of Waikato could neither be induced nor bribed into forsaking their idea of united effort for Maori nationality under a king of their own. They honoured yet feared Sir George Grey for his very subtlety (maminga), a quality specially favoured by all Maoris. His actions and voice were thought to conceal some deep scheme. It was said by them that Governor Browne was a hawk who flew upon them from the sky, while Kawana Kerei burrowed under the earth to reach his intentions. The former Governor said: “The Queen orders me to put down your King,” but Sir George they thought disguised the same objective. Our first estimate of 100 armed militia to subdue the Maoris by marching through New Zealand and capturing every fortified pa, had now increased to 20,000 soldiers to guard the town of Auckland and subdue one district. In the war against Heke, our victory was due to the secretive help of Tamati Waka, whose victories or losses were not recorded in the press. His most effective weapon, like Hitler’s on the ' Continent of Europe, was nohopuku (secrecy). In the Taranaki war at that time the Maori loss of life was about the same as ours, but our property captured' or destroyed by the Maoris was worth not less than £150,000. Our gains from them were nothing. In the open our rifles and bayonets were irresistible. In swamps and forests their ambush tactics were known as “Maori artillery.” This and their habit of killing male children as potential enemies equalised the losses. Sir George Grey’s problem for the control and reform of the Maori is ours today. The piteous aspect of the problem is that we look upon it as hopeless.