A NATIVE VOICE ON ROAD MAKING.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 733, 27 February 1877, Page 2

A NATIVE VOICE ON ROAD MAKING.

The following letter, to which we append a translation in English, was received by. us last night, from Marsh Te Rangikaheke, one of the leading Arawa Chiefs, with a desire that it should be published in the Waikato Times, as early as possible. We accordingly make space for it in our issue of to-day : " Ohinemutu, Waikato, " 13 Pepure, 1877. " Hei te Riri taima hei titiro ma oku whanaunga aroha i te ao katoa. E aku hoa Pakeha i nga woahio • wai katoa tena koutoa aku hoa e tumanako nei ahau kia kitekite a kanohi a kia korerorerp. a mangai kia piri ai te aroha o nga iwi e raa i runga i tenei waka atahua i te Tare i te waka na eeke ai te rangatira te tirutua te ware te whaitaonga 'te rawakere te pani te pauaru e~ate tae ai nga ra kite wa e karangatia ai ete atua ki a takoto kite urnpa. Keoi Ehoa ma na te kapi 0 nga huarahi i tau wehe ai o tatau tinana. Heai e toku iwi taku tino hiahia kui he whakapuare i nga huarebfi o te tatou motu kia haere atu ai kia haere mai ai a kia whai kuarahi ai hei kaereerenga mai a tatau Munuhiri e haere mai ana i tawaehi ki i o tatau takiwa mete haere ere otaturu tahi ka Mahaki ai te aroha.

" Kua tiuo rongo turuturu koutou mete ao katoa i whakaatunui abau i te huihui nui i Maungatautari, 187 i waenga i a "Waikato me era aba iwi me aku hoa pakeha Ikii aa i reira kia paare mai te huarahi i Taupo te Tokoroa Keraurati Rotorua Tokoroa Kemureti. " Alß7l i tono au kite minita mo te taha Maori kia paare te huarahi atu o Rotorua ki Tapapa kemureti ka torn aku tono ki taua Miuita moo enei kua rahi e rua ko taihoa te kupu whakahoki mai.

" Ka rua aku komititanga ki aku hoa Kangatira Hooteera Ohiaimutu kia te Wirihana raua ko te Mori hana kia piri mat hei hoa. whakuhuere mo tenei huarahi a hei haere atu ki Waikato na whakai'iterite ai tatou tahi mo tenei huarahi e timata ata ana i Rotorua Puhirua Tapapa Kemureti. Ko ahau me aku iwi e mobioana ki tetahi huarahi pototika —kofcahi aue awa tene Kgaherehere —no Puhirua ki hapapa ine waiho ki ahau me aku hapu hei itakotonanga mo nga mahi mo tenei hua. Na te whakaroa o ana pakeha Hooteera i toku hiahia atahua i tae mai ai ki konei ketekete ai.

" Katahi pea kaea aku hiahia kiamahia o tatou liuarahi i te Kaanihera ka tine nei ki Tauranga hei Whakahaere e oti pai ai. "E aku hoa naaku hoki »ga huarahi o te rohe a te Arafra i puare ai te rori nui o te Motu nei. No Tauranga ki Rotorua Taupo Kepia Poneke. " E tiuo hiahia nui ana au kia mahia te huarahi atu o Taupo ki Rangipo Patea, Whanganui. E poranginui ana ahau kia puare nga huarahi oto tatou Motu. Kia ora ai nga pani nga pouaru nga ware-ngarawa-kone-nga tuatua.

"Ko nga tino tangata e kohuru ana i ana taa tangata ekone e whakaaro kite henga i nga huarahi kia ana tahi ai nga tupapaku. " Kaati aku kupu i konei. " W. Marsh te Rangikaheke."

: [translation.] • To the Waikato Times, for the consideration of all my relatives amongst the tribes. To my friends, the Europeans of Waikato— Salutations to you, whom I greatly desire to see face to face, and to converse with together, and that the people of both races may live in amnity and friendship, who are seated safely upon this good canoe, the «Ta«,' a canoe which alike bears the prince and the peasant, the rich and the poor, the widow and the orphan, until the day arrives when each must lay low in the grave. # ; v: }il .. -• My friends, our personal intercourse is aloife prevented now by the obstructions in ' the f: present roads. My ownl eictreme desire is see all the roads thrpughouj the

selves, and so that many- ways be ufcelssmle for those atvangera cowing ifrpm beyond the sens to visit our dtsti-icls, and so that lasting fviendsriip be maintained by frequent, intqvcpuijse'.'w'itli one another. < ;•. / You have all heard that, at the great meeting at Muungutauturi, in 1870, I publicly declared jto the, Waikatos and the other tribes, and Europeans there, that the roai from Cambridge via Te Tokoroa to Tanpo, and also the road io' Potortta froni Cambridge should, bo.,opened. In the year 1871, and since, I appealed to the, Native. Minister to*..open the road from Cambridge via Ta'pnpn to Rotorua. Three time's I applied to that Minister"to"-open that line of road, and the only,.reply,l recei.ved was, the wo'i&V.taihba;.) V w \\\. l[]: Then I held two conferences with the Hotelkeepers of> •Ohiiiem.utu,? Wilson: * and- Morrison, in order that we might, together, arrange 'amongst ourselves!, the opening '.up Of the road line beinihg at Tuhirua 6u Rotbriia Lake, on via Tapapa to Cambridge, by, which I and my people kuowi as a very short, direct, and nearly level cme, with only one viver to cross between th,o «tge of on' . this side totfie'-e'nrf ; -bF: : ilJW' ,!? bnßli'--oii | %our siefcv The delay -hitherto idis- | iplayed by these European hotel 'people in helping fo'rwavd/'tbis de'siru able project up till-now perplexes me. Bitt now,' pdihapp, my - 'desire • will beggratifiesd s by tlie Council which is' to 'sit' 1 at Taiiranga, : to direct the- 'opening up 'and completion of all pur. roads.

My 'friends, the roads now opened in the Arawa district are. mine-

that g.-eat road of the Island from Tauranga to Kotorua, Taupo, Napier and Wellington.; I j am. a«so : now desirous to see the road aiade from Taupo .via Rongip! 6; 'and inland from Patea to Whanganui. ~ Indeed, I am a strenuous advocate I 'for the opening up of all roadSjiiSOi that prosperity may reach the orphans, widows, slaves, the 'poor, and every other class of the ,people. The real murderers of all these classes of people are, those who have no con sideration for the opening up of the roads of the country, so that life may be given to Let my words cease here. W. Marsh r j e ßan gik a heke. Ohiuemutu, ''"'..". 13 th Febi.uiuy, 1877.